Revolver
by zXFallenAngelsXz
Summary: Transporting into a familiar world filled with murderous psychopaths wasn't what I had in mind for my family's trip to Kansas. In fact, it was the last thing on my mind at the time. Of course, because of that little pest called "bad luck", that's exactly what goes down. I'd fallen down the rabbit hole into shrink-ville, crime cases, thieving, and my "favorite" - black magic.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know I'm doing other stories, but I couldn't resist. This is actually the first fic I started working on, but I couldn't think of how to freakin' start it! I have the whole plot out and ready, so this one should update relatively fast…Maybe, it depends, really. This is written in first person, and truthfully, I wrote this completely with my mindset. So sorry if there is too much detail or something. Of course, there are some different things between me and the character, but we're pretty darn close. *sweatdrop* I based the car ride on when I **_**actually**_** went to Kansas! XD This is going to be a slow to progress story, meaning I plan to have lots of chapters, so sorry if it will disappoint you that she will only figure out she's in the Detective Conan World in the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

**"Opening Themes; Girigiri Chop & RUN. Both by B'z."**

Chapter One:

It was torture. The CD songs played over and over again, the endless chatter and laughter when all I wanted was quietness, the intensifying cold despite the heater on, the claustrophobic feelings welling up in my chest, the car sickness that never failed to show up in my throat –Begging to come out – the ear popping that constantly happens after going up and down too much, the distant hum of the engine and voices due to the ear popping, the floating sensation in my head while trying to read signs or a book I had brought along, and the numbing posture of sitting in a car seat too long; all the usual things that happen during a road trip.

I turned my head to the window, watching the snow pass by quickly along with the trees and other cars. A sigh escaped my lips. We were going to Kansas. There was nothing wrong with Kansas, no, that wasn't my problem. My problem was that my mother was going to drop my sister and me at a house with someone we barely knew – one of her friends – and leave us behind to attend the meeting of some business she was in. I never cared much anymore to pay attention to the names. There are only two names to remember, but I have bad memory and I never remembered which one she had said it was going to be.

My eyes gazed forward into the rearview mirror, scanning the face of the woman who was riding with us there. She hadn't wanted to ride alone since her husband had decided not to come this time around, and she had asked my mom if it was okay to come with us. My mom, being the kind-hearted person she had always been, had obviously agreed. My attention was brought to my mother when she laughed. She was aged – in her forties, so it was inevitable – with twinkling brown eyes and a bit of a plump figure. Her Spanish descent showed through with her straight black hair and tanned skin. My mom gave me a raised brow when I spent too much time staring, so I leaned back in my seat, relaxing in an almost laying manner due to my chairs reclined position I had it in.

My head turned to the side to look at my sister. She was smiling to herself and listening to her music on her I-touch. My father had bought it for her on her seventeenth birthday. She was the epitome of my mom and dad combined. She had some of my father's facial features, her darker than black hair coming from both my parents. Her eyes were the same shade as mothers, a darkish brown that glitters in the light when she smiled; they were slanted a bit from our Asian blood. Her skin was a pale color coming from my mom's side, her smile a lopsided grin that my dad wore when he was trying to be funny, and a full figure and long, wavy tresses flowing down her back. We were five years apart, me being thirteen and her being eighteen.

She's kind, fun, and very much alike to my mother, the only thing she had in common personality wise with my father was her stubbornness. And despite her being the one who had spent more time with our dad, I have more of his personality than I'd like to; the short-temper, the lashing out anger that came and went, and the stubbornness – all the attributes that led to my parents' divorce.

My head turned to the front once more to look at my reflection staring back at me. Brown, almost black doe eyes stared back at me, the bored look projected thoroughly through them, slightly slanted from my dad. My face still had a bit of my baby fat, my cheeks being as some grandma's would call 'pinchable' and a bit rosy naturally. My skin was a light tanned color, my lips a dark pink from me bighting them all the time. The one thing that set me apart from the rest of my family was my hair. Instead of black like the rest, my hair was a dark brown, cut short in a choppy layer look.

I was quite proud of my hair, actually. A wry smile graced my lips as I continued to stare back at myself. I was snapped out of my silent thinking when the car stopped abruptly, veering to the side when my mom finally gained control again. My sister blinked and looked up from her music to meet my eyes, both of ours questioning.

My mom looked back at me and I rolled my eyes playfully before opening the side door to check what happened. My shoes crunched in the snow and I almost wanted to cry because what met my eyes were two flat tires. Well, that was a strange coincidence. Like a road trip stuck in a car wasn't bad enough. Not to mention I had been rudely awaken this morning to freezing water on my face, courtesy of my sister who accidently tripped next to my bed. Several other things had gone wrong, but it would take too long to list them all, so I'll just say that today is not really working for me.

"We have two flats. Do we even have _one_ spare?" I sighed as my mom smiled sheepishly back at me.

She coughed into her hand and shook her head at the deadpanned face I was currently giving her. My sister giggled and I looked upwards to the white-grey sky above me. It made me crack a smile before turning with crossed arms and determined eyes. "Okay, how far are we from the house we were going to?" My mom looked to our car guest; Sharon was her name, I believe. She blinked as all attention focused on her.

"Err, we're almost there, just a couple minutes away. I'm guessing ten." She answered, giving me an awkward grin.

I nodded. Okay…That wasn't too bad, I guess. A smirk made its way to my lips when I pulled my sister out of the car with me and brought her to the back, her face becoming dread-filled. "You want me to help push the car with you?!" She whined, making a show of dangling her arms as if they were noodles and couldn't help me at all. I snorted. Yeah, like that was going to work on me…

"Oh, come on," I jabbed an elbow in her side, relishing in her cringe. "Don't be a baby and help me push…Unless you wanna stay here all night." I gestured to the bareness surrounding us. The trees had long vanished and even the cars had mostly disappeared, except for a few stragglers like us. My mom's friend, Lannie, lived way out in the middle of _nowhere_. My sister looked around at my gesture and shivered. The sun was already on its way down. I grinned, knowing I had gotten to her. She hated the dark.

She sighed and gave me a nod and she closed the door. My mom gave us an encouraging nod and we counted down before pushing off, our feet digging into the slushy snow of the road. I gritted my teeth. We just had to get a flat now, didn't we? My worn sneakers were perfect for this, though, I thought with slight optimism. A breathy chuckle escaped me as I looked over at my sister while still moving the car along slowly. She had worn her new shoes today, all new and a bright white that was gradually turning a dirty brown. I guessed it was because it was a dirt road underneath all the white snow. She gave me a glare and I grinned innocently before concentrating more on moving more quickly. It was getting dark pretty fast, I noted.

It was completely pitch-black when we finally arrived at the house that was literally surrounded by nothing but a shed off to the side and a large yard gate and a few other things I couldn't see due to lack of light. The house itself was bigger than I thought it would've been, though. A startled shiver ran through me as I gazed at it, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when a dog started to bark suddenly. My hand went up to my speeding heart, and I took in a deep breath. Just a dog…

My sister, Dannie, looked around and took in her surroundings as well, a surprised look coming onto her face. I'm thinking she expected a lot more…Can't say I didn't either. I had expected the house to be somewhere in a neighborhood, but this was good too, I suppose. At least there would be no curious neighbors or something… I let out a snicker. Well, guess that's what we got for imagining and not getting out much. My mom and Sharon – I always thought about Sharon Vineyard when her name came up – got out of the car and started to lug bags to the house. We followed after grabbing our backpacks from the car, getting greeted at the door by the aged blonde we had met a few times before: Lannie.

She pulled me into a hug, and I got ushered into the house in a swirl of pillows, blankets, and bags. It was a sort of controlled chaos. Before I knew it, we had been ushered up the steep stairs and into a bedroom that reminded me disturbingly like a school classroom. The carpet and the lights at the top were usually only seen in schools, from what I know. Then again…Here they were, right? There were three beds tucked closely to the three walls and I chose the one that was the lowest to the ground. It was hard and lumpy, but it would have to do.

I frowned as I pulled my shirt off only to meet the cold air. I shrugged to myself and glanced up at my sister who was currently getting changed into her pajamas, too. "Ready to have loads of fun tomorrow?" I teased and she huffed as she adjusted her loose pants and got her shirt on, hello kitty pajamas. My pajamas consisted of a large shirt and Eeyore pants. I finished changing and looked towards the door.

"Mom's not going to sleep yet?" My voice was soft and I blinked some sleep out of my eyes. Gosh, I was exhausted…But then again, we kinda just pushed a car for 20 minutes or something.

Dannie shook her head and plopped down on her bed, it looked way softer than mine but I just smiled inwardly. Good, her back won't hurt in the morning. "Nope, I think she said she was going to stay up and plan out tomorrow with Lannie and Sharon." I nodded and laid on the bed, pulling my pillow under my head and grasping onto the teddy bear I loved to death. "Well, goodnight then…" I mumbled, the world becoming fuzzy as I distantly heard her reply.

ooOOoo

I ran and ran, not caring about the freezing weather or the irrationality of all that was currently happening. I stopped short when I reached a park, falling down onto the bench with heaving breaths. The cool air calmed me down a bit as I got over my adrenaline high. It was ridiculous, I cynically thought, that I had totally freaked even though I had done nothing bad. I mean, I don't even know how I had gotten in the museum, and definitely didn't know how it was suddenly night time. The police had started closing in and then _bam!_ Before I knew it, I had started running like a thief caught in the middle of a secret heist.

"Gosh, I'm so stupid." I face palmed. "Now they're going to think I really _was_ stealing something."

My hand went up to pull the hat down closer to my flushed cheeks. At least they hadn't gotten a good look at my face. I could just figure out where I am, go back to Lannie's house, and then act innocent. It worked everytime I lied about something, besides, my mother wouldn't think twice about me being a thief; she knew I knew better than that.

"Okay, might as well get moving before the cops get here." I mumbled, standing up and stretching my sore back. Darn, that lumpy bed had done _wonders_ on it. My legs moved in the general direction that lights were coming from and I found myself frowning, thinking. I hadn't remembered any place like this when we had gone travelling earlier, in fact, I don't think that was the same museum from earlier either. Hmm, that's strange.

I shrugged it off and continued my journey, becoming more and more confused as I recognized nothing around me. The buildings were all of a different architecture and the streets were not in the same order as earlier. When Dannie and I had gone exploring the city nearby, courtesy of Granny – Lannie's mother, who was surprisingly awesome for an old person – who had driven us there and let us wander without supervision; of course, mother had given us money beforehand to buy things in shops and eat lunch, but other than that we were practically on our own.

The world obviously was having fun messing with me because I couldn't find the stupid road to Lannie's house. It couldn't be _that _hard to find! After all, it was a long, snow-covered dirt road that led to practically nowhere. A sigh escaped me and I wrapped my scarf closer to my mouth in an attempt to keep warm. It was growing colder as the night went on and if things got worse, I would have to go to a police station nearby to ask for directions – _and wouldn't that be embarrassing_?

My pride was almost like a man's when it came to asking for directions and admitting to being lost; something my family found quite amusing since even my father didn't have that certain feature. It was more of a complex than anything, though. Not that I'd tell anyone that either.

I soon ended up back at the same bench I had been to before, having gone around in a circle on accident. Losing my determination, I sat down and curled up on it, ignoring the fact that I probably looked like a hobo. Doesn't matter I guess, since no one was out anyways. My eyes were drawn skyward as it started to snow softly, the once black sky now a darkish grey as the pure white fell to the ground. It was beautiful. The sudden realization, though, that it was snowing made me wince. Great, it was going to get colder soon. My eyelids fluttered shut and I just sat there, ignoring the bubbling panic that was growing in my chest.

As I sat there in the middle of the night, I couldn't help but think: Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

**-Edit: I actually didn't have a lot to edit on this one. (Mildly Surprised) **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This one is sort of short...Sorry about that. I got the information about Hirakata-shi on Wikipedia. And it's true; I **_**am**_** an information junkie! XD I look up pointless things like pyromaniacs, chlorobenzene, accelerants, and all that kinda strange crap; my family thinks I'm weird… *sweatdrop***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form.**

Chapter Two:

I steeled myself, looking at the suddenly intimidating door several feet away from me. It was a simple police station, smaller than what I remember and only with an officer or two inside. My hand went up to ruffle my hair, getting rid of the hat-hair I had acquired from keeping my baseball cap on all night. It was currently residing in my bag slung around my shoulders and resting on my hip. Of course, when I had remembered I had a bag, I had looked through it only to realize I had brought _kind of_ useless things with me. Why did I even bring all my USBs?

Then again, I had always had the habit of packing and bringing junk around with me since I can remember. Old habits die hard, I guess. I stood up from the crouch I had been resting in and started towards the doors with a determined stride, quietly willing myself to suck it up and _just go_. They didn't see my face yesterday; I grimaced lightly at the memory of suddenly being surrounded by cops. Not something I had ever dreamed of happening. Being a fugitive, though, was something I _had_ imagine. Apparently I was, since they were currently looking for the person who had tried to rob Suzuki Modern Art Museum. I had gotten a strange sense of familiarity when I had first heard the name, but had shrugged it off.

When I reached the door, I walked in confidently, trying to channel my inner poker face. If I acted like a suspect, then they would deem me a suspect. I have to act cool and smooth. Approaching the guard at the front of the room, I plastered on a nervous grin. "Excuse me?" My voice was slightly meek. "I was just wondering if you can tell me how to get to the dirt road that swings around the back of the city." _Wow, really cool and smooth_.

The man gave me a confused look and then chuckled in good nature. "Very funny, young miss. Hirakata-shi isn't really known for dirt roads, you know." It was my turn to project him a confused look. Hirakata-shi? Is that where I am? There certainly weren't any cities in Kansas named that, I was positive. I was an information junkie and had researched the state before our trip.

"May I ask where I am, exactly?" There must have been a tone in my voice that made him realize that I wasn't joking around. He offered me a soothing smile and I relaxed a bit only to tense after he answered. "You're in a police box located in Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan." I nodded in response and exited the police box calmly, absentmindedly thanking the man.

Once outside again, I was hit full force with the new information. I was in Osaka, Japan. The questions like _how the hell did I get here_ and _what the hell am I going to do_ swirled around in my head. Okay, so I'm in Japan. Cool, cool. Okay, I'm in Osaka. Also cool. Okay, my family is probably millions of miles away from me, separated by the oceans and hours of plane travels. Also okay – to an extent. But now I was realizing why I had felt the familiar twinge when I had heard the name of the museum that I had appeared in. It was Suzuki Modern Art Museum – the very same museum that had appeared in the third movie of Detective Conan, The Last Wizard of the Century.

My hands clenched my bag quickly; was this like some of those fanfiction where the person is transported there? I had to check if I was correct, though. After all, it's completely illogical for me to assume I'm in the Detective Conan world merely because of the name of a building. My eyes were drawn to the people around me and I dashed towards one, asking where I could find the local library, bowing a bit and thanking them, and then running off in the direction they had pointed to. And people call the library useless. If I found what I needed to confirm my theory, when I get back, I'm going to totally kick those peoples' butts; because obviously they would be dead wrong.

I panted and looked up at the building. It looked like any other library I had gone to; the picture of normalcy. The inside of it smelled like paper and I smiled at the scent, my room had the same smell mixed in with a cinnamon scent; it was comforting and eased my frantically beating heart. It was quiet and I found myself whispering to myself to fill the void. It's not like I hated silence, in fact I loved it, but right now I didn't feel like being alone.

"First things first; the newspaper." My voice seemed loud despite it being decently quiet. "If I see the name of a dead person, a name that I recognize, then I'm in the Detective Conan world."

I shuffled towards the newspaper section, thanking the heavens that I could somehow read the kanji. It was filled to the top with the black and white pages and my eyebrows creased in worry. Great, where the heck do I start? The looming bookshelf suddenly looked terribly big and terribly full. This was going to take forever. My arm reached up and I grasped the edge of the first newspaper.

ooOOoo

Nothing. I had found nothing so far. Maybe, I was just looking in the wrong places, but so far, my first theory seems pretty farfetched. I leaned back and rested against the back of the chair; I had decided to bring papers to a desk and check them one by one then go get more, it was easier that way. My eyes were drawn to my finger, small bits of blood coming out of the slit on the side. Stupid paper cut; so small yet so painful. It's almost ironic, really.

I stuck my finger in my mouth and smiled faintly. Looks like I was getting nowhere with all the research. My chair squeaked, piercing and too loud for my sensitive ears, as I got up and put away the numerous papers I had gotten out. At least I know I'm not in the Detective Conan world, and can find a normal way back to Kansas. Hmm…Maybe I can sneak into a flight or something… It was an option, that's for sure.

I made my way out of the library – not noticing a shift in the air as I exited; the library behind me changing slightly – ignoring the adrenaline that was leaking into my being at the thought of sneaking into somewhere again. The last time I had snuck into somewhere public – not including the museum last night because that was not my doing – was when my mom had forgotten her purse in a mall restaurant, a Subway to be exact. She had remembered right before the store was closing and I had hid in the bathroom while they had been ushered out by the security guard. It was nerve wracking and it had been dark and thrilling. The perfect practice for becoming a criminal – stealth practice and all, and if I was caught, well, it's not like I had stolen anything, right? That time had been the only time that I had done anything like that. Okay, that was a lie, but the other times had only been breaking into the school building. Nothing big.

The sun blinded me for a moment as I stepped out and I squinted. I reached into my bag and pulled out my sunglasses, perching them on my nose and pushing them up so that they would stay. The noise around me was a silent drone as I walked around the city, Hirakata-shi. My mind was flooded with information about the certain city; it was a special city on the border of Nara and Kyoto, it had a population density of 6,327.24 persons per km². Quite the large place, if you ask me. The current mayor is Nakatsuka Hiroshi…I think; I didn't pay much attention to the mayor parts.

The day went by quite fast with me just wandering around like a lost puppy. It wasn't until around eight when I was heading back to the park I had stayed in last night, that I stumbled upon them; my evidence. Living and breathing with their dark suits and trench coats, sunglasses perched on the bulkier man's face – strange since I ditched my sunglasses earlier, it's _way_ too dark to see anything with them on at night; guess he could see just fine – and the other taller with long, silver hair swishing behind him as he turned to regard me with chilling eyes. My heart leaped in fear.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan - *Blush* Thank you! I really like these types of stories too, and i couldn't resist writing my own! XD**

**-Edit: Not much to fix on this one either, but I added a foreshadowing line. XD **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Anddd…Another cliffhanger. Sorry about that, but it just seems right to end it there. Gin and Vodka are way OOC. Sorry about that. It was hard to convey them and stuff. This is another short chapter, but I'm proud that I got an update out so fast! 8D I feel accomplished now. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Three:

My breath hitched as Vodka pulled out his gun quickly, not looking so much like the dim-witted person he normally looked like in the anime. He was suddenly more intimidating, considering he was the one swinging around a dangerous weapon that he had practice with. My legs wouldn't move as I slowly looked down at the person lying on the ground several feet away from me. The blood oozed out of the bullet hole in his right temple, the gun in his hand making a perfect suicide scene. I tried not to let my mind run with my knowledge of how the organization could kill me off and no one would figure it out – well, maybe Shinichi, but it was a ways from that him catching them, I think.

"Wait," Gin's voice was harsh in the silence that had been ringing in my ears. I flinched. "Let's just kill her with the poison so we don't have to clean up." Oh shoot, they didn't mean the poison I think they do, do they? My heart rate picked up from its shock-slowed pace and the adrenaline made me come out of my stupor of fear. I had to get out of here! I slowly stepped backwards and stopped when a bullet found its way to the concrete by my leg. I broke into a cold sweat as Gin neared me, Vodka pointing his gun at me – daring me to move from my spot.

Gin took out a silver case and popped the lid open, revealing the red and white pills that looked scarily familiar – it was the darn Apotoxin 4869. I was going to _die_! Why, oh why, didn't I just ask the police to escort me to the airport? – It would have kept me away from this situation I was currently in. Gin's hand closed around my throat and he forced the pill down my throat like he did with Shinichi, except this time it would do its job and kill me. The poison only didn't kill some very few, very lucky people. The only people I know of so far are Shiho and Shinichi – goodness gracious; I'm going to die _here_!

I was thrown to the floor – the side of my head smashing hardly on the brick wall before I slid to the floor – and felt the cold concrete beneath my cheek. My body was started to heat up uncomfortably as the shadowy figures disappeared around the corner of the alleyway and I pressed my face harder against the only source of comfort. It was suddenly hard to breath – my throat constricted and my chest tightening painfully. My blood pounded loudly in my ears. I looked downwards to where red liquid was becoming a puddle beneath my head. The fall had given me a head injury. _Great… _

Oh well, it's not like I was going to live through this, anyways. My hands clenched as the heat intensified, my body felt like it was liquidizing from the inside out; melting and boiling. My eyes fluttered shut and I tried to focus my attention on the coldness beneath me. Deep breathes, I reminded myself, but then chuckled as I realized I sounded like I was convincing myself to breathe probably while giving birth. Babies; that was a good distraction from the pain. They were cute, soft, and you just want to smother them with kisses and hugs. My thoughts were drawn to the thought of my two cousins.

Ana, the older of the two toddlers, and Alicia, the younger one; they were both adorable, but little monsters. They were bratty to an extent, but I loved them all the same. A pained smile adorned my lips as I imagined them bearing with the news of my disappearance, and soon my death when they finally stop searching. They were too young to understand it now, but they would eventually – Isabella, my cousin who was only a year younger than me would also be told the news. Then again, if I disappeared, would anyone other than my mom and sister care? Would those two even care? Okay, so babies weren't a good distraction; it was making me depressed. I didn't want to think about not being there for them when they grow up; I had grown up practically on my own despite my sister and mom and didn't want them to go through the same thing – too bad that wasn't my choice anymore. Ah, screw this. I'm no good at being optimistic.

I bit my lip harshly as I got the sudden urge to scream in pain and frustration. _Of course_ I had to end up in the world with the evil organization walking around everywhere. What were Gin and Vodka doing in Osaka anyways? Planning some poor person's demise obviously, my brain sneered at me as I cracked my eyes open to look at the corpse beside me. They shut again as the pain grew and grew, it was no use to try to keep my breathing under control as it quickened in time with my heart rate.

It was all too much to take and my brain gave me one last command, and I obeyed, no longer in control of what was going to happen. I became limp, thinking shortly that I should have at least written a dying message with the blood from my head. Too late now, I guess… A pathetic whimpered escaped my mouth before everything disappeared.

ooOOoo

I groaned as the world around me came back from the haziness of unconsciousness. Darn, I had passed out – how annoying. I paused. Wait, I wasn't dead yet? I blinked my eyes and closed them again with a sigh…_Please don't tell me_…

My theory was confirmed as when I sat up – slowly; my head still hurt from the blow into the wall – and my clothes bagged around my small figure. Shoot, stupid poison. A wry smile graced my lips. At least I wasn't dead; being small was a lot better than being a corpse in a coffin under 'unknown'. No one knew me here, after all. My prints probably weren't in the police database and I had no form of ID. Yup, it would be a cold case if I had died; no one would have _guessed_ that I'm not from here – the _dimension_, not the _city_.

My tiny hand made its way to the injury on my forehead and I flinched at my own touch. My attention traveled down to the blood puddle and I rolled my eyes; why did head injuries have to bleed so much? If I hadn't already known that, I would probably be freaking out about dying from blood loss or something equally ridiculous; well, I _could_ die from blood loss but it's unlikely. I pulled up my bag and opened it, digging for something to wrap the wound. There wasn't anything inside of it that would work and I grimaced; I really need to start packing smartly. I looked down at my scarf and begrudgingly wrapped it around my head tightly, efficiently cutting off the blood flowing out of it like a faucet.

The sun was already up high in the sky and I wondered what time it was before forcing myself to get up. My body ached with the movements and I chuckled breathlessly. And to think Shinichi transforms over and over again like this; he must have a high pain rate, I certainly would not want to change only to see my girlfriend – well, it would be boyfriend for me, you know, if I had one. The only time I would willingly turn back is if it was for something _very_ important, and the final time. He must really love Ran; he was such a sweetheart to her, she's lucky to have someone so dedicated. I blinked out of my thoughts when footsteps sounded through the alley I was in.

My body tensed as I waited for the person to appear in my view. Judging by the sound, it was only one person…Sneakers? I snuggled up into the pile of my clothes and lay down; maybe they would think I was dead and then leave. Wait a minute! The corpse of the man still was there and then they would believe me to be his child. Just what I needed, misunderstandings. As I waited and contemplated on running – immediately backfiring that, I didn't feel like moving just yet – the person got closer and closer. I heard someone curse in a southern accent before a teenager ran up to the man, not even bothering to check his pulse; it was obvious he was dead. The teen must have noticed my stare because he turned around to face me; my eyes met a familiar face. My mind instantly rewarded me with the name of the person in front of me and I almost hid back in my clothes.

I certainly hadn't expected Hattori Heiji to find this particular crime scene.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – I like replying this way to reviews because it always makes me feel giddy when my review is replied to on the actual chapter. XD And cool! I can't wait to read yours! ^^**

**-Edit: Not much to fix on this chapter, either… I'm starting to think all the major glitches are in the later chapters. XDD**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is kind of a filler, but kind of not. It's complicated. It's mostly about me getting used to the idea of being shrunken and in the Detective Conan world. Enjoy? This chapter took a while, I started a few days ago, because I was working on another story at the same time, so I got confused at which words I used in which story… Yeah, so if I repeat words a lot, I'm sorry. .**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Four:

I blinked. He blinked. The silence ensued before he strode forward carefully, trying not to scare what appeared to be an injured child. Heiji's voice was low and soft when he started talking to me, soothing my slightly frazzled nerves at suddenly meeting _another_ character. When he got close enough, he scooped me up gently into his warm arms. I shivered at the sudden warmth; the cold hadn't been apparent to me until warmth was presented. Despite myself, my hands clenched the fabric of his jacket tightly. The adrenaline was finally wearing off from before and I suddenly felt very tired and confused to an extent.

He said nothing more as he whipped out his cell phone with one hand and dialed 110. He informed them of the body. It all kind of floated through my head before I stopped trying to understand everything and leaned my head against his shoulder – it was surprising comfortable. My eyes fluttered shut and I felt his large hand smoothing down my hair; he was still murmuring comforting words, well, I think they were comforting words – they were more of just a drone. A jumbled up mess of familiarity, warmth, concern, and also unfamiliarity all in one.

My eyes opened again after I heard footsteps coming closer to the two of us. I stiffened but relaxed again when I heard a semi-familiar voice talking to Heiji from behind my head. It was Otaki-san – I confirmed this by lifting my head briefly to look over my shoulder. Otaki looked at me. "Who's this little girl, Hei-chan?" His voice was gravelling but homely.

"I don't know. She was here when I came here. She may be related to the man, but it's unlikely. They look completely different." He explained, shifting me in his arms while explaining. "I'd ask, but I don't know if she's in shock. She's also injured." How rude, I'm not in shock. At least, I don't think so; this was the first time anything so…Strange and violent has happened to me. Hmm...Maybe I am in shock. My thoughts were interrupted as I was taken away from Heiji's warm arms by a paramedic; apparently they had come, too, thanks to the high school Osakan.

I was placed on top of one of the stretchers in a sitting position as the man took off the scarf I had applied to my forehead, eyes widening slightly at seeing the large gash – at least I think it's large; it sure _feels_ and _hurts_ like it's large. The man leaned down to his package and took out some disinfectant stuff and bandages. The disinfectant stung and I flinched even though he was being gentle. "Sorry about that." He apologized. "What's your name, little girl?" He inquired softly. I froze. Shoot, I hadn't thought of that yet. For heaven's sake, I had been denying that I was in the Detective Conan world until I had that unfortunate encounter with Gin and Vodka.

"Err...Alice..," I was surprised by how childish my voice sounded in my ears. It didn't even sound matured at all. _Weird_. The paramedic smiled at me and placed those little tape-strip-like bandages over the gash before putting a cotton one over it. He stood up and took his bag, stopping and thinking for a minute. "What's your last name, Alice?" I'm pretty sure panic flashed through my face because he patted my head in what was supposed to be –_ I think –_ reassurance. "It's okay if you don't remember." Oh. Well, thank you for that idea, Mr. Nice Paramedic. I can consider that. A smirk adorned my lips internally. That was a perfect plan. The man checked my vitals, using a small flash light on my eyes to check for a concussion; nothing, thank goodness.

The man left me to go talk to his colleagues about something and Heiji approached me again with a friendly smile; I stiffened in anticipation to the onslaught of questions that was bound to happen. Time to put my current little-girl role into action, I guess. He took a seat at the foot of the bed I had been placed in the middle of, turning to talk with me face to face.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, trying to gain my trust for the interrogation; I was, after all, a little girl who probably witnessed the man commit 'suicide' and got attacked by someone. I was still uneasy in his presence, though. It was strange seeing someone in real life that is a character in my favorite anime. _Very_ strange. I nodded meekly, trying not to ignite the head pain anymore than it was. He flashed me a boyish grin and I couldn't help but smile back; he wasn't any different from how he was in the anime, I'm not sure why I was so worked up.

"Your name is Alice, right?" I nodded. "Can you tell me what happened, Alice?" I once again nodded, taking a deep breath and finally speaking up again. "I remember my daddy taking me somewhere and then he hit me on the back of my head. I woke up when I heard a loud bang and saw the man beside me, dead. Then I stayed there until you got there." An abusive father who had abandoned me; an okay story. Not the best I could have come up with, but it was a good enough cover up story for now. I couldn't exactly tell them that my parents didn't exist in this world; then they would see me as a traumatized child in need of psychiatric help due to shock and other things. No thanks.

Heiji nodded and brushed my hair back. "You speak quite well for your age …you're three, right?" I almost choked on the air. _Three_?! A small squeak escaped my mouth and he gave me a curious look as my mouth opened in surprise and realization. That's _right_. The Apoptoxin de-ages you by ten years; I was thirteen and therefore, now I'm three. This is great, just great. How am I supposed to do _anything_ in the body of a three year old? Geez, even Shinichi is at least seven. I nodded at his question – not much else I could do, considering I _am_ a three year old currently.

"The police are going to take you to social services, but until then you'll be in police custody." He explained and my teeth clacked together soundlessly. Social services wanted to find me a new family, but I already had one waiting for me somewhere – and I am certainly not going down without a fight! "But my mom…," My tone was too harsh for a child and I face palmed internally. I tried to make my voice quieter and quiver. "What about my mommy…?" Haha, I have to admit, that was pretty good.

Heiji backed up and told me he was going to go talk to the police about that before getting up and leaving me on the white stretcher. It was comfy, surprisingly enough. Squishy and soft and not too firm, but firm enough in case of spinal injuries and such – an interesting combination. I laid back and my eyes shut, the drowsiness catching up to me once more. Before I knew it, I was safe in the haven of my dreams.

ooOOoo

I woke up in the arms of someone unfamiliar; social services immediately jumped to my mind and my eyes snapped open to look up at a professional woman. Fight or flight instincts kicked in and I chose both. My legs immediately started kicking the off-guard woman right before I sunk my teeth into her shoulder – the only spot close enough to my mouth to get a good grip. She yelped in pain and I was dropped to the ground as I continued my attacks by scratching close to her eyes; she shut her eyes harshly as she tried to avoid my sharp nails – children have _very_ sharp nails now that I pay attention.

I stood up from my bum and started running in the direction of…Somewhere. The woman behind me called for me to wait and tried to run to catch up with me but her outrageously tall heels stopped her from running too quickly; she didn't want to sprain an ankle, obviously. If I was wearing those shoes, I certainly wouldn't want to run in _those things_. They looked _freakin' _tall, man. I noticed with glee that my bag was currently clenched in my hand, dragging across the floor but still with me; I was worried I had left it behind. I also noticed how I was changed into fitting clothes now; a skirt and a girly shirt.

A manic cackle left my mouth as I rounded another corner, leaving the social service lady behind in the dust. I hope she didn't lose her job for losing me, but oh well; if I could get away, any grumpy child could. Not good for the job description, I mocked in my head before turning another corner and another before stopping short and checking my bag. Everything was still inside and I let a relieved smirk adorn my lips.

Good, everything that is need is here then. Time to get to work.

**Review Replies:**

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Wow, that's stupid on how they only allow one review each chapter. O.o and it's good to be a slow writer, its better because slow writers make fewer mistakes in grammar and punctuation and stuff. I have a billion of typos all around, I think. I once read a chapter I had written a **_**long**_** time ago and nearly shoved my head into the nearest wall. It was terribly written! D: **

**To: Tsukiko95 – Thank you, I think you are an amazing writer as well. ^^ Your 'ending up in DC-world' story was what first inspired me with this idea. And yup! I couldn't resist the urge to shrink myself! XD**

**To: kuttiepie3 – Thank you. ^^**

**-Edit: Not much here, either… XD;;**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Me having a sort of breakdown and adrenaline high day. XD The fits of laughter happen to me **_**all the time**_**. Seriously, I don't even know, sometimes, what I'm laughing about. XD Oh! I wrote up this chapter when I was in Kansas – again – and that's why it's kind of all over the place. Lol! It was fun; I went to a meeting and ate at a fast food place I've never been to before. Anyone been to Freddy's? Their fries are delicious! I had the chili cheese dog, but the fries were definitely the best – no competition. …*Cough*…Anyways, enjoy? ^^ ****Oh! And I'm using 'ojou-chan' instead of 'little lady' because 'little lady' sounds kind of funny to me. XD Oh! And I personally thank Kudou Shinichi Tanteisan for informing me that it is Apotoxin, not Apoptoxin like I previously thought. XD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Five

I rounded corner after corner after corner before finally willing myself to stop. My breath heaved through my lungs heavily as I tried to recover from my over-assertion. I choked out a laugh and hunched to the floor, trying to get control over my breath before I hyperventilated. What a way to wake up, I thought wryly as I dropped my bag on my small lap and leaned my head on the wall behind me.

"Well," I started with another giggle. "I guess I _am_ in the Detective Conan world, after all." Another manic cackle started to bubble in my throat but I swallowed it, trying to keep in check. No need to get too excited and then make a mistake; like accidently walking into another shady deal. I guess I've already made my mistake of the week, though. What tops being shrunk– I stopped my thoughts right there; I may jinx myself if I'm not careful. My eyes travelled down to my bag and I pondered for a moment before looking up at the sky.

It was mid-day, I think. The sun was high and the blue sky was cloudless; a pretty normal day, if you asked me. My attention snapped to the side as a noise caught my attention. A cat walked out from its hiding spot and I blinked. A grin spread across my face and I made a 'come hither' motion with my fingers, quietly content with associating with the kitty. The cat seemed to give me a bored expression before turning its head with _definite_ indignation and walking away, its tail swaying in the air like a queen. Well then, I pouted before standing up and stretching.

I shouldered my bag, combing my fingers through my hair as I got out a ponytail to put my hair in – only a small ponytail due to my short, messy hair. I started heading out of the maze of alleyways that I had run myself into, silently hoping that I wouldn't get lost on my way out; after all, I didn't exactly want to sleep in the dark alley when night hits. It would be plain _creepy_. I mean, these alleys were even creepy during that day – now that I pay attention. My steps sped up as I realized this and I smiled at myself for being a coward. I blinked as the opening came into my view. Well, that was quicker than I thought.

A few people looked over to me when I stepped out into the blinding light, wincing when my eyes dilated, trying to get used to the sudden brightness. My hands started to instinctively dig for my sunglasses before I remembered that they probably wouldn't fit my now-smaller face. I squinted with a sigh and continued to walk out into the horrid sun, inwardly cursing that I didn't bring my toy sunglasses. I bet they would fit me now. I sucked it up and started following the flow of people, quietly wondering where the train station would be.

Staying in Osaka would be a terrible idea, after all. Heiji-san, Otaki-san, and that official lady all knew what I looked like and thought I was a normal three year old. I internally wondered why I suddenly started adding the Japanese honorifics to the names; my mind didn't bother providing me an answer as the sign of the train station appeared in my peripheral vision. Bingo! A giddy grin made its way to my face as I practically skipped over, snickering to myself when I only had to slip under the bars that kept people from getting on board without a ticket – no one even noticed my tiny figure making its way through the flood of adults onto the train and then sitting myself on a seat in the corner. My eyes locked with my fingers as they entwined with each other and then squeezed with an almost crushing grip. _I really hope that the custodian doesn't do his rounds right now…_

The train shot off with a jolt and I relaxed my hands. The train was heading to Ekoda, the first place I had recognized – I had jumped at it, hoping for somewhere familiar. Although, now that I thought about it, that was a stupid idea. I was much more familiar with Beika. Osaka, no. Ekoda, no. Beika, kind of. Gosh, I'm not familiar with most of Japan, but at least I had an inkling of where I am exactly. Could be worse. I shuddered at the thought of ending up in, much to the horror of my thoughts, a real-life Wonderland. Think I'd rather take the world with endless murders – at least they get solved. If anyone died in Wonderland, no one would even _care_, unless, of course, it was Alice. Still. Too freaky for my taste, thank you very much.

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing again. Seriously, what was I thinking about? Real-life Wonderlands, being in a different world, surviving in a different world, and knowing an anime but not knowing the world completely; people would think I was nuts if they could read my mind. Heck, I think I'm nuts, too; maybe this is all just a very descriptive dream. Probably. My mind made up, I looked out the window. The view was interesting. Nothing I'd ever seen before, certainly. It was interesting and scary.

My eyelids slid shut as I tried to block out the world around me – tried to wake up. It obviously didn't succeed as the drone of talking and footsteps shuffling continued despite my 'tuning out'. A sigh escaped me and I reopened my brown eyes with a sour spirit. Why wasn't it working? Why did it have to be me that was transported here? Fate could have at least found someone more capable and more intelligent than me. Someone more grown up and ready for this – well, as prepared as anyone can get for being transported to this world; murder and mysterious organizations weren't exactly on a person's normal agenda. Not what I was used to, anyways. If someone like Shinichi – a human shinigami – existed in the world I come from, it would be all over the news. The person would be famous for a lot more than his detective skills and would even be called a bringer of bad luck; people would avoid him like the plague. Not unreasonable, though; I probably would, too.

Other than all the crimes, though, this world was normal. Sitting on the train with normal, non-characters of Detective Conan was relieving. My feet start to sway childishly and I grinned. It was a good thing that I had kept that habit through my whole life despite my legs growing long enough to plant my feet firmly on the ground. A lot of people had looked at me funnily, but I'm glad I hadn't let them deter me; now I just looked like any other child – ignorant, full of glee, playful, not wanted to stay still for long. I blinked out of my thoughts when the train came to a halt, the announcer, well, announcing, "Ekoda-cho, Ekoda-cho," loudly. I winced at the noise. It was as easy as eating pie when I weaved through the flood of people coming out and I had to bite my lip from snickering like a criminal who just got pleaded innocent. Geez, I felt like laughing a lot today for some reason. Hope this wasn't going to become a habit….

I was herded out of the station and I quickly slipped away before someone noticed me without a parental figure. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought of what could happen to me in this tiny body; I would be completely and utterly defenseless if someone decided to try something. Let's hope I don't run into a pedophile, I wished and scurried down the road and into a neighborhood, starting to look for a familiar name.

ooOOoo

I panted and rubbed some sweat off my forehead as I looked up at the suburban household. Looks like this was the place, if the name on the gate was any indication. I hesitantly walked up to the gate, looking for the buzzer, and when I did I then noticed my _other _dilemma. My glare was directed towards the buzzer, much higher than I could hope to reach. Blah. Now I had to figure out a way to get to it, and I didn't feel like using my brain power right now. It was hot, the sun was too freakin' bright, and I'm still adjusting to my new body; why couldn't I just _die_ and be _done_ with it, I thought cynically, frowning in concentration.

I squeaked when a voice spoke up from behind me, "Can I help you, ojou-chan?" The carefree voice was very recognizable and I turned slowly to look up at an extremely tall Kuroba Kaito grinning down at me. I sucked in a breath as I was once again was taken by surprise despite knowing that this was the person I had been going to meet. I plastered on a polite smile, hiding my inner turmoil, and laughed childishly as he crouched down to look at me face to face.

"I just want your help with something, oniichan." I started off, cackling at the little kid act I was pulling in my mind; how Shinichi didn't enjoy this was a mystery to me, I think it's fun! Kaito gave me a curious look and started talking. "You want my help?" At my excited nod, he continued on. "So, what can I help you with?" At that point, my face turned deadly serious and he blinked at the sudden change in demeanor. My memories of the day I had 'disappeared' from my world came flooding back and my eyes locked with his indigo ones.

"I need a place to stay; can I crash at your place for the night?" My voice wavered and the serious expression washed off my face. I face palmed internally as I laughed nervously, thinking of how I had chickened out of my _real _question. Oh well, there's always next time, I guess.

He gave me a slightly confused okay and we headed into his house, introducing ourselves to one another. I bit my lip as I fought of the urge to laugh yet again. I was going to be living with _the_ Kaitou KID.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudou Shinichi Tanteisan - *imagines picture* XDD And really? *face palm* Darn it, I've been writing it wrong the whole time. XDD Oh well... *Shrugs* Thank you, though! Now I can go fix it! 8D**

**-Edit: Not too many typos here, either… XDD **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, okay. This is a seriously **_**shitty**_** chapter; **_**completely**_** irrelevant to the plot, and slow, **_**so very **_**slow. I only posted this because I wanted to put something up a week before I get my summer vacation. Yup, so, after this shitty chapter, and all the slow updates, summer is finally here. I will be able to focus solely on the things I want to do and finish – including this story you're reading right now. It should go relatively fast, considering that I already had the plot out from the start, but who knows? (Shrugs) It could take years for me to finish this story – well, not years, but you know what I mean. (Laughs) OH! Did anyone else hear that DCTP can't fansub anymore episodes because of FUNimation?! Gosh, that pissed me off. XD Thinking of making a petition, but that seems too extreme. (Coughs) Oh, I also started taking up Karate, so I may add that in the story later on. Just for heads up. (Grins) Also, I was psyched when I saw that you're able to add pictures for the cover of the story! I had a picture drawn for a while now, so it's now up as the cover. It's kinda crappy quality, but meh. (Shrugs) And wow…This was a freakin' long author's note…. Hehe…My bad, just wanted to share my news with **_**someone**_**…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Six

I stared at the white ceiling above me. My eyes fluttered shut and I took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of Kaito and his room; it was a slightly musky smell, full of roses, and something sweet. Kaito-san had insisted that I slept in his bed when I had insisted that I should sleep on the couch. He hadn't asked why I need a place to stay, but it _would_ happen eventually. My mind swirled for ideas.

I guess I could tell him the same story I told Heiji; something about an abusive dad or what not. It would be the best idea if social services find me and they feel the urge to compare stories. But, the abusive dad story wasn't a very good lie. It was horridly uncreative, actually. It was, sort of, a half-truth, though, so it would work if I decided to stick with it. Still felt uncreative, though; I need to come up with something creative and very much believable. Maybe I could say I got lost or something? I let out an audible snort at the thought.

Wow, lost; so _very_ creative. My eyes opened and I looked over to the big picture of Kuroba Touichi on the wall; the door to Kaitou KID's 'lair'. I'd need to go and get some supplies from there, just to be prepared. After all, the Detective Conan world wasn't exactly a safe place; heck, people seemed to die every day – from _un_natural causes. It's a dangerous place where people sit around thinking of intricate ways of murdering others. I bit my lip to contain my giggle. Putting it that way, made it sounded funny instead of murderous and scary.

My eyes narrowed at all the white. White walls, white ceiling – I had always found it strange that Kaito's room was white; he seemed like the more colorful type. Then again, perhaps he was indecisive with the color he wanted. I shifted into a sitting position and looked over to the door warily, before getting off the bed slowly.

My feet glided across the floor silently as I head towards Kuroba Touichi's portrait. Might as well get the supplies now – who knows when I might have another chance like this? The portrait swung to reveal the entrance to the KID Lair, and I hoisted myself over the bottom into the spacious room. It shut behind me with a small click and I jolted when the school lights on the ceiling automatically turned on. I relaxed after a moment, and wandered deeper in.

The floor was cold and the air was chilly, and it made me feel unwelcome as I continued intruding into the room of the Kaitou KID legacy. Maybe, I was just freezing because I was only wearing one of Kaito-san's shirts, though – making me feel insecure and devastatingly small by the way it was like a dress on me. I shrugged off the feeling of discomfort and walked over to the wooden trunk, curious about the wire that was connected to the desk lamp at the back of the room.

I rummaged through the chest, interested in the series of strange contraptions. There were long tubes, a bag full of small little hatchets, there was several hairspray cans, a pocket knife, pick pocket tools by the plenty, and I even spotted confetti bags, glitter, feathers, streamers, smoke and flash bombs, and banners with anything you could think of written on them. Magicians take preparation to the extreme, I noted and grabbed one hairspray can, a couple small hatchets, flash bombs, and a few pick pocketing tools.

"This should do…," I mumbled and carried the stolen goods and placed them at the base of the entrance. I left them there and traveled deeper into the – I'm guessing – fire-proof room, and looked over to the white car. It looked like the platform it was on lowered somewhere, and that's how it would get in and out unseen. That could come in handy..., "Oh." I blinked. And blinked again. I shook my head and let out a chuckle as I gazed at the machine – figures that the Kaitou KID lair would have a pinball game.

I let out an interested sound, but decided that I had done enough snooping around, and headed back to the entrance, passing the mirror-closet before scooping up my (_Well, not really my..._) things, and stumbling over the bottom and into Kaito-san's room again. I hurried to place the stolen items in my bag – which I had placed on Kaito's desk, so I had to begrudgingly use his chair to reach it – and glanced back at the portrait to make sure that it was on the right side. It was, and I sighed in relief, heading to the bed and plopping myself on it. I willed myself to go to sleep; I imagine that tomorrow is going to be a busy day.

ooOOoo

"Thank you for letting me stay the night, Kuroba-oniichan!" I cheered, grinning up at the tall teen as I prepared to leave. I had only asked to stay one night, after all, and I didn't want to impose. Also, there's the fact that I would be discovered and I wanted to stay hidden for a little while longer – let the pieces I was preparing fall into place before I could let them figure me out.

Kaito gave me a concerned look. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Hm…I guess it would be more logical to bring him along. I only have the appearance of a three year old, and I don't have any physical strength in this form; it could get dangerous if I run into the wrong people. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of pedophiles. You know what…, "Actually, can you come with me, Kuroba-oniichan? I'm scared." That wasn't a lie.

He gave a reassuring smile, and grabbed my hand in his gently. We started on our search, and I felt a small beat of guilt – we wouldn't find anyone, and I was only taking Kaito-san's kindness for granted. After all, I knew I was going to have to ask him if I could stay at his house a bit longer.

I sighed as we walked down the street. Sometimes, I _hate_ having a conscious. A chuckle escaped me at the thought – that sounded _completely ridiculous_…

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Ah, no, you're right. (Nods) I've been updating epically slow, but like I said in the author's note, summer is here and I can write more. XD And yup! I was probably drunk from the blow of it **_**finally**_** hitting me that I **_**am**_** in the DC world. (Laughs) **

**-Edit: Not too many here, either… I wonder why I'm doing this… (Deadpan) XD **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: A new chapter? A new chapter! (Cheers) I've been starting to make due dates for myself, and today was the due date for this chapter, so yeah~! I had to figure out what day it was in this chapter, cause yesterday night I was so confused on how long the story had been so far. I was surprised to figure out that it's been almost a whole week already. XDDD Anyways, hope you enjoy! Sorry for repeating a lot of words, I've been doing that a lot lately. (Sheepish Smile) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Seven

I nibbled on the edges of the toast I was given, and sunk into my seat slightly at the feeling of someone staring at me. Kuroba Chikage sat across from me, watching me with a sparkling gleam in her soft violet eyes. I hadn't met her the days before because she had been visiting someone else, and when she got back, I had already been sent to bed by Kaito – something ridiculous about being young and needing a bedtime. Damn him. I like staying up late, thank you _very _much. It was currently my second day there – well, third, if I wanted to count the first night I had stayed – and this was our first meeting; at the dinner table, eating breakfast.

"I'm Kuroba Chikage; it's nice to meet you, Alice-chan, Kaito's told me so much about you." Well, as much as he could tell, granted I only met him. "You can call me Okaa-san." She giggled, looking at my face with a wide smile. I sank lower in my chair, if possible, a small blush rising to my cheeks. Great, she thought I was cute – darn it, Lady Luck, you hate me, don't you..?

I blinked and immediately started to act like Alice's persona. Well, truthfully, it wasn't an act, just another way that I acted around people when I wanted something. "Nice to meet you, too, O-Okaa-san." I ducked my head, slightly embarrassed with calling her mom. My tiny fingers tighten around the edges of my bread, and I could feel my blush getting bigger. "Oh! You're so cute, Alice-chan!" She gushed, reaching over to pat my head gently.

"Kaa-chan," Kaito-san's voice broke through my embarrassment. "You're embarrassing her." Chikage-san gave Kaito-san a pout before removing her hand. "Mou, Kai-chan, you're no fun." Kaito gave her a mock-offended look before pulling a newspaper out of nowhere – I suspect it had been rolled up in his sleeve. I internally thanked him from saving me from further embarrassment, before catching sight of something on the newspaper. Something _very _interesting.

"Ah, can I see that for a minute?" I asked quickly, already extending my tiny arm to grab the paper. Kaito blinked at me before giving it to me. My eyes hungrily raced across the page, and I bit my lip when I saw that I had read correctly.

'**Hattori Heiji does it again!**' I stared, continuing to read the very similar case. '**While** **on a trip to Tokyo, Hattori Heiji and Mouri Kogoro stumbled across a murder case of a well-known diplomat, Isao Tsujimura.**' Could it be that…? I dismissed my thoughts and continued reading, wanting to know if I was correct. '**With precision and intellect, he sliced through the case and realized that the murderer was Kimie Tsujimura!**'

I was transported here just after Heiji met Shinichi. Oh, gosh. Was this a good thing, or a bad thing?

My grip slackened, and I gaped for moment. I sucked in a sharp breath before starting back to normal behavior. Lady Luck really _does_ hate me. "A-Ah, looks like I was wrong." I let out a nervous chuckle and handed Kaito-san the newspaper back. "I thought I saw a comic section, guess I was wrong."

Kaito blinked at me before laughing, "You're really strange, Alice."

Oh, he had no idea.

"Really? Haha, it's just a coincidence." That earned me a bit of bemused silence, and I realized I just really needed to _shut my mouth_. I started in surprise when the front door burst open with gusto, a teenage girl with messy brown locks coming charging in with a skip in her step. "Come on, Kaito! We'll be late!" She called, blinking at me in interest, before deciding to ask about it later, grabbing Kaito's wrist, and then proceeding to pull him out the door. He called out his farewell, and then they were gone, the house suddenly quiet except for the dull voices that could be heard from outside.

"Ow, Aoko! You're gonna pull off my arm…!" That was the last I heard of their conversation before it faded away because of distance. I heard Chikage giggle and I looked over to her with a smile. The Kuroba house was actually very homely when you're with someone. It was different from my home, which was noisy but kinda empty – it was more warm and welcoming; not that I don't feel at home in my house, but still. I dunno. Wait, school…?

"Okaa-san, what day is it?" I asked in curiosity. She gave me a slightly confused look, but answered my question without preamble. "It's Thursday." I choked on a piece of my bread, going into a coughing fit. Chikage hurried over to me, patting my back gently, trying to relieve me of the fit. After I recovered, I took in a deep breath and immediately thought of the day I had been transported here.

Let's see, it was Saturday when I was transported here, the middle of the day. Then, there was the day I walked around and met Gin and Vodka in an alley, and when I woke up and met Heiji, it was morning the next day, then I fell asleep and ran away from the social worker in the afternoon, sometime. I met Kaito after he came home from school. That's two days. Then, the day I spent with Kaito searching for my parents, him wearing a hat, and not going to school that day, most likely to take care of me; you can't exactly leave a three year old alone, after all. Another day. That means today is Thursday. It's been four and a half days since I left my world! Jeez, it didn't even seem that long – how could I let myself completely loose sense of time?

And, since that was on the newspapers, I'm guessing that that particular crime was only yesterday. No wonder Heiji didn't think twice of me being a shrunken person; he didn't know yet. Well, that's enlightening, I thought, waving off Chikage's worried hands with an embarrassed laugh. "I'm alright, I'm alright." I reassured her.

She seemed satisfied with my answer and moved to grab her empty plate, taking mine with her, and going to wash the dishes. "Ah, can I help with anything?" I questioned, getting off my seat with a hop and hurrying to her side.

"You're such a dear." She told me dotingly. "Can you help me by drying off the plates?"

"Sure~!"

ooOOoo

I was looking through phone books in the living room with Chikage when Kaito got back from school, minus Aoko. He wandered over to us, looking at what we were doing. He sat next to me on the couch, his weight pulling me into his side unexpectedly. I let out a strained noise as I pushed myself off his side and crawled back to where I was sitting before.

"Mou, Kaito-niichan, be more careful." I paused to give him a grin. "I'm only a kid." He let out a raucous laugh, nodding his head in agreement – as if to say, 'yes, I know'. Chikage laughed softly at the two of us, cooing slightly as Kaito ruffled my hair, much to my dismay. "You two are just like a brother and sister." She squealed. Maybe she was referring to our interactions, but maybe she was also referring to our slightly similar hairstyles and since I was wearing his old baby clothes, we probably would look very similar, if it wasn't for the age difference. I didn't really mind wearing his baby clothes, they were nice. Boy-ish, but that was fine. That's what I usually wore, anyways. "Ne, Kai-chan, can we keep her?"

_Oi, oi, I'm not a cat…_, I deadpanned internally as Kaito laughed and said that they could. Well, whatever. If it'll help my cause, I'm all for it. Might as well use it to my advantage, right? Though, I'd probably tell Kaito soon enough, after I go see the one I'm looking for.

"Oh, right. I was telling Alice-chan about your classmates, and when I mentioned Akako-chan, she said she knew her. They're related, apparently." Chikage explained to Kaito, gesturing to the phone books next. "That's why we're looking through the phone books. I don't know her number, so I thought we'd just find her here and then call her up."

Kaito – yes, I'm finally killing my habit of thinking with honorifics! – looked down at me with an unreadable face. "Related to Akako?" He seemed surprised. "You're not a witch, too, are you?" He asked with a raised brow and I chuckled. "No, no. Akako-neechan," It felt _super_ weird to call her that. "Is only distantly related to me." Haha, hope Shinichi doesn't mind me stealing his excuse.

Kaito's face brightened and he seemed relieved. "I see, then. Do you want me to take you to her house?" He offered and I was surprised he didn't say 'her creepy mansion'. "I'm not going near it, though. I'll take you to the road that leads to her house, and then you can go from there." Ah, so that was his game. Can't blame him.

"That's fine with me! I just really need to see her~! It's been forever!" I said, giddily sliding off the couch and heading for the door. Kaito hurried after me and I realized I made it a little short of his knees. Good, I'm tall for my age. I wouldn't want to be a complete shrimp. Maybe that means I look older than three… Hm, something to think about…

"Let's go." I grinned, not minding as he grabbed my hand before I could run off ahead.

After all, if anyone could help me, it would be the – kinda – friendly local witch.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Yup! An update! 8D And, well, when you put it **_**that**_** way… (Laughs) My summer vacation just ended recently, too. (Nods) And that sucks. I hope you find more time to do all those things – somehow! I'm not sure how. XD (Grins as snowflakes falls and eats cyber cookie) Thank you~! I would wish you luck on your homework, but that review was a while ago. XDD **

**To: AnimeRules4 – Well, I could do that, but I decided to go through with my original plan. Conan and co. will be a big part of it, too, but I haven't met them yet. And thank you~! ^^ **

**-Edit: Not too many here, either. I'm dreading the next chapter, though. I just know that that one is very messed up… XD;**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: An update so fast? Yup, an update so fast. I was surprised, too – believe me. You see, I had only been going to start this chapter, but it kinda got out of hand and ended up longer than the other chapters and stuff…Haha. I have no self control when it comes to that. XDDD But, I'm super pleased with this chapter and my fast update, so it doesn't matter~! Cheers~! Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! 8D Also, sorry if you get confused with some of the explanations in this chapter – it made sense to me, but I'm the one who wrote it. XDD **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Eight

"Here we are." Kaito stopped, pulling me to a stop also because he was holding my hand still. I blinked, looking around for a minute before spotting the small, very small, trail leading into the large forest next to us. It looked like a hiker's trail, but less travelled on because shrubs were beginning to grow over it – partially covering it from view. I was surprised that Kaito even noticed it, given that the front was hidden by some bushes. Then again, he _is_ Kaitou KID. I don't know why I'm surprised.

I chuckled, finally slipping my hand out of Kaito's to get going. "She sure lives in a strange part of town…," I trailed nervously. The place gave off an eerie feeling. It was away from the rest of Ekoda and was in a virtually unpopulated place. The trees had become more and more on the way here until finally it seemed to transform into the forest in front of us. To say it was creepy was an understatement. Was it even legal for her to live here? I briefly wondered before deciding that, no, she probably wasn't supposed to live here.

"Yeah, she does." Kaito laughed, the sound comforting; though, I bet he was hiding his own nerves. I flashed him a smile before walking closer to the trail, feeling _something_ in my mind, pushing in the thought of not really wanting to go there; persuading me to change my mind. I tried to push the feeling down, trying to convince myself it was my imagination – though, it probably wasn't – and placed a foot down on the dirt trail. As soon as I was fully on the trail, the sensation disappeared like it was whisper in the wind. A shiver went down my spine before I mustered up an enthusiastic wave and turned to Kaito to bid farewell.

"Bye, Kaito-niichan!" I said, watching as he waved back and called out his goodbye, telling me to immediately come back if anything happened, before beginning to leave. I wanted nothing more than to call him a traitor and force him to come with me, but I let go of the urge and turned to continue walking in. It was quiet. Too quiet for a forest. Usually there would be birds singing and calling to one another, chipmunks scurrying across the ground, and squirrels chatting animatedly from their trees, looking for nuts on the ground before hurrying back to their hiding place. But, there was nothing. And that was scary.

There were noises, but it was merely the occasional breeze through the trees, the branches and leaves brushing against me in a way that felt like they were testing me; seeing what kind of person I was. Of course, that was a ridiculous thought – but, hey. If there was a witch in the Detective Conan world, and all those creatures that Akako uses pieces for, then there could definitely be trees that live. I held my chin high, putting aside my fears and walking, and walking, and walking.

Just when I was about to give up because of the distance – I'd been walking for long while now; the sun was already down at the horizon, the sky a fiery orange color – the house came into view. If house was the right word. It was more like a giant, creepy, mansion. The silence seemed to break as I exited the trail into the grassy, small clearing. Immediately, the sound of crow's calling attacked my ears and I flinched, startled. The mansion loomed across the field, black crows perched on the maroon roof and porch cover, and flying over head, some of their feathers falling to the ground gracefully. A smirk adorned my lips – all she was missing was the vultures waiting in the distance.

_Well, no turning back now_, I thought and started across the field, following the small stone road up to the porch steps. The three steps creaked as I stepped up on them, and as I was about to knock on the door, staring warily at the disturbing-looking knocking tool, which was the head of a lion that looked like it was watching me, the door opened. I backed up quickly – internally denying that I had been frightened – and looked up to see Akako's creepy butler looking down at me with a grin that was too sharp to be human.

The crows had, apparently, been just as surprised as I had been because the ones on the porch flew away quickly in a flurry of wings and feathers, seemingly frightened of the short, stubby man in front of me. He reminded me uncannily of how one would describe a demon. Wouldn't be too far-fetched, considering that most people assume that witches were able to have demon helpers, or something. Least I think so, my mind was too occupied at the moment to really remember.

"Akako-sama has been expecting you." Well, that's not worrying. At all.

I nodded meekly, and he gestured a hand, as if telling me to enter before him. In his dreams; like I was going to trust a demon. "No thanks, you go first." My eyes narrowed at him as he laughed a bit, his grin growing ever sharper. "As you wish." He turned, leading me into the long hall. The door shut behind us with a final creak.

The house was dimly lit, the only light coming from outside, bathing the house in a soft orange light. The carpet was a bloody red color, looking kinda velvety as if it was one of those carpets that you see in luxury hotels, and the walls were a plain shade of beige – I think, it was hard to tell with the color from outside. I absently noted that I had seen no electrical lights at all so far, and that I had been allowed to keep my shoes on. There were the occasional movie-esque candle holders on the walls, and a few strange painting and portraits, but overall, it was a normal-ish house. The smell of incense was becoming overpowering, though, the farther I went in, making my mind fuzzy.

The normal house feel that I had gotten in the beginning faded away as I was lead into a living room – it _seemed_ to be a living room, anyways – with light brown wallpaper with a strange pattern coming in place for the beige walls, and a big, stone fireplace. There was two large, differently shaped, swords hanging above the fireplace, and an axe hanging upside down on another wall, along with a few portraits of what I would bet millions were other witches. The large couch was kinda normal, if it weren't for the strange arm-rest things – snakes weren't exactly comforting, even if they were metal. A large rug was underneath the couch, and a small, dark mahogany side table next to it – I spotted some burning incense in a jar on the table. I paused to stare wide-eyed for a split second at a human skull resting on the hearth of the fireplace, before swallowing thickly and continuing to follow the butler. I really hope that wasn't real…

The butler-demon opened up a door at the other side of the living room, and I followed him into another slightly normal hallway, walking all the way to the end which seemed to be a dead end. _Jeez, it's like a maze in here_… My internal grumbling was cut off as the butler grabbed a candle holder from the wall, turning to the left, and beginning to walk down stone steps I _swear_ weren't there before. I shrugged off the feeling of the hair on the back of my neck rising and had to pause to gather myself again as the incense scent hit me full force, completely blacking out my mind for a moment.

I hesitated before going down the steps myself. The light disappeared as something closed behind me – …strange, there hadn't been a door there…ha..ha….. - and my only guide was the small candles lit on the candle holder that the butler was holding. The stairs seemed to spiral downward instead of going straight and I mentally grinned. This place would be wonderful to shoot a movie in, despite the sinister presence that seemed to hang over everything.

We finally reached the bottom and I tried to ignore the chains that hung on the walls, looking suspiciously like dungeon chains, before we rounded a corner, the light becoming brighter as many other candles were lit around the stone room. There were several incense burning – so this was where the astoundingly strong smell had come from – and there were shelves attached to the wall, holding many bottles full of things I probably didn't wanna know about. The room looked different than the one she had used to ask Lucifer questions, so I assumed it was a different room. She probably had a few rooms like this around, after all.

I caught sight of Akako in a black cloak in the middle of the room, next to the large cauldron. She turned to me with a smirk and I found myself staring. She really was beautiful. Long, maroon-ish red tresses cascading down her shoulders, stopping above her chest, and lightly tanned skin that was flawless with eyes that were a deep, dark red made her up; she didn't seem offended at my staring, seeming to know I was only admiring her beauty. She gave a vain laugh, snapping me out of my trance-like state and I cursed to myself. Seems like the spell she has all the boys under was also effective to females, just at a smaller scale.

"Hello, dear," She made the endearment sound condescending. "Lucifer told me that you would be coming. You caused a lot of magical misbalance, you know." Her voice turned irritated at the end of her sentence.

"Magical…misbalance?" I questioned softly, confused at what it meant exactly. She frowned a bit. "Yes, magical misbalance. The balance between dimensions is very whimsical; one small little change can throw everything into chaos. By you transporting here, you fused your world and our world incompletely." …That didn't sound good…

"But, I didn't even mean to come here; I don't even know _how_ I got here." I defended myself. "I was just there, walking around _mid-day_, and then I'm suddenly in _museum_ at _night_." I explained, coming closer to her and leaving the butler at the entrance. Akako seemed unimpressed with my defense and I grimaced.

"I know that you transported here accidently. But, that doesn't mean you aren't at fault." My eyes narrowed into a glare; Surreee, blame me, why don't you? "After all, how did the gem have enough time to bond with you?"

I blinked. Gem? Bonded? "...What are you talking about?" I asked wearily.

She gave her unique laugh again and I rolled my eyes, waiting impatiently for her answer. "You got here because of a magical gem, child. The gem was too powerful for our world, causing an imbalance, so a long time ago, a witch much like myself had to riskily send a small part of the gem into another dimension – it apparently ended up in yours – to fix the balance."

"Then, you somehow came in contact with the gem; long enough for its magical substance to bond with yours and to come back here to connect back to its other half. What I want to know is how you were able to get a hold of it long enough for it to bond with you." She gave me a pointed stare. I felt my face flush.

"…How big was the part of the gem?" I hesitatingly questioned, my fingers clenching into the pants Kaito had probably used when he was around six or seven. She raised a brow at my suspiciously nervous fiddling and answered, raising her hand to use her pointer finger and thumb to show me the small-ish size, "About this big." I hunched over slightly, my cheeks covered with a shamed blush.

"Well, you see, I went to this museum a while ago, right…?" She made a sound that said, 'yes, please go on'. "It was a mining museum and it had a display that you could touch and look at…," I trailed off.

"Go on." She prodded me, out loud this time, obviously growing annoyed with my avoid-ish nature. "While we were walking around, I saw a rock that was most likely from that display on the counter of a model of the kitchen. And it was really pretty, and I felt compelled; so…I…Kinda took it." I admitted sheepishly.

Akako deadpanned at me as I shuffled my feet. "You stole it." She stated, sounding partially disbelieving. I immediately was offended by the way she put it. "Don't put it like that. It sounds bad! Plus, there were no security cameras, so it's not my fault. They should have better security. Plus, my mom said I could take it…,"

She rolled her eyes, sniffing in slight disdain. Jeez, it's not like I would know that taking a random rock – gem, I corrected – would cause an imbalance and then somehow throw me over here. Wait, didn't she say…

"What do you mean that its magical substance bonded with _my_ magical substance?!" She couldn't actually mean that. "Last I checked, I don't have any magic powers!"

She smirked at my disheveled temperament finally showing. "Your world may not allow people to have magical powers, but that doesn't mean that some people don't have it dwelling inside them. You merely can't use it by yourself. You need an outlet of some kind. You see, if you were born here, you would be a witch. One _very_ much like myself; after all, if you had been born here, you would have been my younger sister."

I sucked in a sharp breath. "What…?"

"You heard me. People that are born with magical substance are like weights on a scale; before they are created, the magical balance weighs them out, deciding if they would go to a non-magical dimension or a magical dimension. If you are placed in a non-magical dimension, your powers will be suppressed, bottled up inside you with nowhere to go. Some people may be able to unlock their power, but it takes a certain outlet first. If you're born in a magical dimension, you will simply be a magical human in that certain dimension – it differs if you would be a witch, or something else, by what type of magic substance you have."

She continued on, as if I wasn't having a shock attack. "I can tell that you would be related to me by simply reading your magic substance. It's red, witch, magic. I said little sister because it's too much like mine, too powerful, for you simply to be a cousin or someone that is not a direct descendant of my bloodline. That's, also, the only reason that the gem was able to bond with you and be able to transport back here with you. Because of your magic."

I swallowed heavily, trying to process everything she was saying. It made sense, but was still kinda hard to wrap my head around. Apparently, I had magic that I hadn't known about and the gem bonded with me. And wasn't that just a little hair-raising. I mean, the gem_ bonded _with me. That means we're connected somehow, even if it's miles away. Also, it happens to be that my excuse to Kaito and Chikage wasn't a complete lie; we are, technically, related but since we were sent to different dimensions before we were created, we're only distantly related. But, now my truth to Kaito that, no, I was not a witch, was now a lie… Ugh. My head hurts.

"Okay, so that's how I got here." I nodded, mostly to myself. "But, bonded. I mean, how exactly are we…bonded together?" A frown was on my face and I wrapped my arms around myself – the thought of being bonded with something that I hadn't given permission to made me feel violated somehow.

"Your magic and the gem's magic are intertwined into one whole magic; it also seems to have bonded with your soul." Her brows furrowed together, as if confused by the soul-bonding. However, I felt sick. My _soul_ was bonded with it. I could tell my face had drained of color. "Which is slightly strange; soul-bindings should only be able to happen during marriage….Unless…," Her sharp red snapped to my face, startling me a bit. I grew worried as her face seemed to become incredulous. "…What? Unless what?" I finally asked after a couple minutes of watching her work something out in her head.

She took a deep breath, deciding that, yes, whatever she had been speculating was correct. "Unless the gem's soul and your soul are corresponding." She huffed indignantly. "Lucifer told me in his riddle that you were a strange individual, but this is a bit much – too much of a coincidence that it probably isn't a coincidence. Someone set this up." She seemed angry at this revelation, and I felt my stomach drop; why the hell would someone set this up? What could they possibly earn out of bringing me here and the other half of the gem? Unless they needed the whole gem for something and only used me to get it here…

Though, it was beyond me who could set this up. After all, it was _my_ idea to go to the mining museum and it was _my_ idea to keep the gem, so unless someone was manipulating my mind and my choices, then it couldn't have been a set up. Could it? It seemed that the Detective Conan world just got more complicated – for me, at least.

I rubbed my forehead with my small hand, suddenly remembering _that_ problem, too. Blah. Lady Luck seriously does hate me; at first I was joking, but now it seemed like the truth. A question suddenly popped into my head and I immediately asked it, hoping for a negative answer. "By the way, when I first got here, it snowed when I fell asleep. It's not that it's strange that it snowed, but it looked kinda strange and I didn't see any traces of snow in the morning when I woke up. Is that a concern?" It seemed like a stupid question, but, hey, I just learned some weird things. No harm in being cautious.

"No, that's not a concern. You fell asleep, so the gem was just letting out excess magic that it hadn't used to get here." She stated. I sighed in relief, stuffing my hands in my pants pockets. "That's good, then. Thanks, Koizumi-san. I didn't actually expect to get any answers out of you, without giving something of mine." I gave her a warm smile and I swore I saw some color on her cheeks, but she turned away.

"Well, you _are_ my – distantly related – little sister, despite the dimension difference." She said sharply, as if saying, 'of course I would help you'. "And you can call me by my first name, okay?" I chuckled at her display of embarrassment and took a couple more steps nearer to her.

"By the way, will I be able to use magic here?" I was curious. She shook her head and I pouted. Too bad, that would have been cool. "You can't use magic; your body is still a non-magical dimension body, so to use magic here, as I said before, you would need an outlet. Even if you don't know it, you probably have run into some magical occurrences that accidently happened in your dimension; strange things that happened or unexplained accidents. Sometimes the crack in dimensions lets something through time to time. Since you're a witch, the crack in the dimensions is probably bigger when you're near it."

"Oh, I see." Well, that explains the 'ghost car'. My sister and I had merely been walking across the street, after checking to see if there were any cars coming – and no, there had not been – and then suddenly a white car had come out of nowhere, almost running the both of us over. We luckily had stopped walking fast enough, and it had stopped, too. Though the driver did seem surprised, he or she didn't seem to be completely freakin' out about suddenly being in a different location. Though, if I was right, then they probably lived in the same place on the world, only in a different dimension, so it didn't look very different. The car probably slipped back into the crack and back to its dimension without even realizing it. And wasn't that a scary thought. People not even knowing that they were briefly transported to a different dimension because it looked the same.

I had, after all, only knew because I had been transported to a different dimension, in Japan. I had only been transported to Japan because, most likely, the gem's other half was here. If it hadn't been, then I wouldn't have noticed that I was in the Detective Conan world, probably. Creepy…

"Oh, and, Akako-neechan," She seemed surprised by my choice of name, but brushed it off, waiting for what I was going to say. "Could you possibly help me with my little problem? I'm actually thirteen, but I ran into a problem and got shrunk by a poison." Boy, it felt good to get that off my chest. I hadn't told anyone yet and it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

"A poison shrunk you?" She seemed contemplative, her hand going to her chin in a classic 'thinking-pose'. "I can't fix that permanently, because magic and science are enemies, but I can give you something that will allow you to transform back at will. Though, it will have a time limit of three days and will have the same effect on your body as it would if you were taking a scientific antidote. The pain, if it is painful, will be suppressed by your magic, though, if I create it correctly."

"I thought you said I wouldn't be able to use magic." I deadpanned.

"No, I said that you would need an outlet, dear." She gave another condescending laugh. "The magic will work on its own to protect your body, if I make the outlet on it correctly. So, _you_ won't be able to use it, but it'll use _itself_."

"Oh, okay…," _Everything seems to have loopholes now_…

"Now, give me something of yours that you'd like to have the magic implanted in. Something that you can wear all the time and that will fit all the time." She commanded, and I blinked. I looked down at my body, trying to look for something I was wearing that fit the bill. I had left my bag back at the Kuroba household, after all. I had been planning to leave today and just stay with Akako – if she would let me stay – but Chikage had insisted that I stay longer, 'for as long as I needed to', was how she put it.

My brown eyes were drawn to my bracelet and a smirk adorned my lips. It was perfect. It was a simple, homemade thing, that was made out of black string and a bell attached to it. The string was big enough to fit my 'adult' form without slipping off and was big enough to wrap around twice on my child form to keep it from slipping off. Perfect. I twisted the bracelet off, the bell jingling quietly as I placed it in the palm of the red-haired teen's hand.

ooOOoo

Akako had finished making my bracelet some kind of magical transformer and I had it back on my wrist, looking down at it with raised brows, like I was expecting something to feel something. Akako was watching me bemusedly from her place near the cauldron.

"You're not going to feel anything." She stated and I looked up at her. "Why not?"

"Because it's supposed to be disguised as a normal bracelet. If you felt something, you would be staring at it strangely all day and people will begin to wonder if something's wrong." Well, I suppose that made sense. In fact, that's probably the most logical thing I heard since I stepped foot in to this mansion. I shrugged, bringing my hand down to my side and then looking around the room. "Oh, and just for a warning, never take the bracelet off when you are in your adult form." I blinked at her curiously, before deciding to just listen to her advice; since the bracelet was the one that made me turn big, I guess I would automatically shrink once it was off.. We stood in silence for moment before an idea hit me full force and I turned to Akako with a grin.

"Hey, do you think that I could, possibly, contact my mom or sister?" I asked excitedly. If I could get into contact with one of them, then they wouldn't have to worry so much. I could only hope that they didn't contact the police yet… Four days was more than enough time to file a missing persons report, after all.

Akako blinked at the sudden question, but nodded. "Yes, I could probably let you contact each other. It wouldn't do any damage between the dimensions because it's already so unbalanced." To say I was surprised was an understatement when I jumped giddily at Akako's leg, hugging it tightly. "Thanks! So, can we do it now?" My smile was so big that it was starting to hurt my cheeks. Red dusting her nose, she began to do something with her magic and began pouring some things into the cauldron next to us. She plucked a piece of my hair and I winced before letting her leg go bashfully and standing on my tiptoes to get a good look into the cauldron. As soon as my hair was put into the liquid, it turned a bloody red before the color faded only to leave in place the face of one of my relatives.

I happily leaned closer to the liquid, getting a good long look at someone I hadn't seen in a while.

"Dannie!" I cried gleefully.

My sister's shocked face stared back at me with wide eyes.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Haha, yeah, I was kinda surprised with myself when I suddenly said she was my distant relative. XDD My mind works by itself. (Laughs) I was super surprised when I wrote this chapter. It kinda just…went. (Face Palm) XDD I had a vague idea, but never that I was actually, you know, related. (Shrugs) Oh well. Turned out fine, I guess. Lol! And I see, well, good luck, then~! (If you have more homework this time) XD (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you ~! **

**-Edit: Okay, maybe not a lot, but I did fix some continuity errors. XD **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Another~ Another~! (Childish Cheering) I'm on a roll~! XDD I co-wrote this with my sister, so everything she says in this chapter is genuinely her. (Grins) It was kinda hard doing that, but it was worth the very realistic result. XD Hope you enjoy~! Also, does anyone else find it ironic that when I was on summer vacation and didn't have to do school, I wrote nothing, but now that I have school, I'm writing? (Bemused) Anyways, onwards~! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form.**

Chapter Nine

I waited patiently for my sister to reply, the smile on my face lessening a bit because of the pain. She just stared at me, and stared at me, and stared at me. The smile vanished from my face as I became concerned. "Are you there…?" I asked, remembering that I now probably had to consciously speak English, since apparently my default was now Japanese. She seemed to break out of her shocked stupor – blinking a few times in rapid succession – before coming forward and tapping her knuckles on whatever I was on.

"There's no way she's there. There's just no way. I'm imagining things. Like she'll ever end up on TV." My sister snorted, staring at me through the screen of, apparently, the television.

"Hey!" I shouted, offended. "First, I _will _be on TV one day! And yes, I _am_ on the TV!" That seemed to be the breaking of the floodgate.

"WHAT?!" Dannie shrieked, and I flinched at the high-pitched sound. Sensitive ears, darn it. "You really are there?! But, how can you hear me?!" She questioned kind of hysterically, banging on the TV lightly with her fists. I hurried to answer, trying to save the poor TV from anymore abuse. "Well, you see, I'm not actually in the television – Akako-san was able to allow me to contact you, somehow… Through the TV, I guess."

"Okay, so lemme see if I got this right. You're with Akako, and somehow figured out how to contact me." She stated, and I nodded. "Yup." She blinked. Twice. Then she smirked, raising a brow at me. "Where are you, _really_?" She asked. I gave her an admittedly childish glare.

"I'm in Ekoda, Tokyo, Japan – in a different dimension." I told her bluntly. "And I'm with Detective Conan and Magic Kaito peoples~"

"Quit kidding around. And if you really _are_ there, explain to me how you got there, Ms. Einstein." I grimaced at the nickname. "It's kinda hard to explain…," I trailed, my brows furrowing. "You know that small rock I got klepto fingers for; well, _apparently_, it was part of a gem that was in the Detective Conan dimension and it…_bonded_…with me due to some complicated things. Then, it sent me here…"

Dannie just stared at the screen, her face completely blank. She stayed like that for a while, only letting out the occasional 'hmm' – most likely going over the situation. I waited patiently before finally deciding to ask, "Dannie, are still there?" She nodded. "Uh-huh. My brain hurts." Ah, I know how she feels.

"Okay, let me clear it up a bit." I gave her a grin. "I was transported here by a gem – complicated things aside; trust me, it'll just confuse you – and now I'm trying to find a way to get back home. I figured all this stuff out from Akako, and I asked her to allow me to contact you. I just wanted to make sure that you don't worry too much, and to figure out how things are in the real, err…, our world." I explained.

"Well, if you wanna know how things are in our world," She closed her eyes with a smug smile, bringing her hand up in a sort of 'give it to me' pose. "Momma's looking desperately looking for you, she has posters of you all over – on every corner and every street – she's questioned _me_ countless times, and she's basically freakin' out to the highest extent she can. It's been one heck of a week." Her voice abruptly turned to strained anger. "Thank you _so much_."

Shit, what a mess….

I groaned; face palming at the chaos that had ensued after I went MIA. "Sorry, sorry." My tiny hand dragged down my face in an exasperated manner. "Tell her to stop freakin' out and to relax, please. It's gonna get her nowhere."

"Okay, well, how's your plan to get back home?" She questioned, growing stern and crossing her arms across her chest. I blinked; I hadn't exactly planned anything yet. "It's…Coming along well enough." I lied, giving her a cheeky grin. Truthfully, I'm not even sure how I would be able to get back home. I'd have to ask Akako that later. It had somehow slipped my mind earlier…

"I can only hold the connection open for a little while longer." Akako's voice rang out from behind me in perfect English, startling me. "Despite the misbalance, if I hold it any longer, the crack in the dimensions will rip open."

"Woah, you really are with Akako." Dannie gasped. "That is so weirdly cool, man." She got back to business in a quick second. Ha, and people say that I'm bipolar. It must run in the family, I thought bemusedly. "Well, try to get in touch with me as much as you can, and get home as fast as you can. I'll try to make up an excuse." Oh, that's why I love her~! "Thanks, Dannie! You're a live saver!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah; I'm that great." She grinned confidently, waving off my praises with a careless hand. I blinked as a static-ish sound started and then Dannie's face blurred, her own looking surprised and then she was gone – her picture washing away, leaving only the clear liquid in the cauldron. I leaned back from it, disappointed before I gave a small, content, smile. At least I had been able to talk to her for little while. Besides, there would always more times that I could contact her, given Akako was willing to do it, but I think she would be…Maybe.

"Sorry, the connection cut." Akako's smooth voice told me, back in Japanese, and I turned to her, giving her a curious look. "I think the rift in the dimensions cut if off to protect the magical balance from being further messed up." She explained and I nodded. "It's okay. At least now my sister knows where I am. I'm surprised she never asked me why I look younger." I said, my lips quirking into a smirk. She probably hadn't noticed, or she did and realized what happened after I told her where I was.

"She was probably too preoccupied with the dimension situation than the shrinking situation." She giggled a bit. I couldn't help but agree with her; the shrinking problem wasn't _that_ big of a deal. Well, unless the organization figures out about me, then I'm a dead woman walking, but I doubt they would. If Shinichi could get away with it, I should be able too; though, I act way too mature to be a three year old. I really need to work on that. Now that I think about it, I haven't looked in a mirror yet. Not even when getting ready this morning, I had kinda just taken a shower, gotten dressed, and then brushed my hair with my fingers. How could that slip my mind?

"You know, I won't be able to let you contact your sister again." Akako informed me, walking passed me and turning the corner. I hurried after her, going up the stairs behind her, noting absently that the creepy butler wasn't there. "Why not?" I asked frantically. I stumbled as I tripped on a step before I regained my momentum. I was blinded for a minute as Akako pulled of her black cloak.

"Because the balance is really bad right now," She stated in an obvious tone. "You may be able to contact her again, though. The small cracks in the dimensions that I mentioned earlier; if both you and your sister are in the right place at the right time, you'll be able to have brief contact. Since the balance is so messed up right now, there should be a lot more of those cracks because the universe itself has probably cracked open as well." I flinched. Did she have to put it like that? Now I feel like the cause of a universal disaster… Though, it was good that I may be able to contact Dannie again.

The warm, orange light from outside was visible again as we got higher up the stairs. Eventually, we reached the top of the stairs and Akako turned to me, with her hands on her hips. I stopped on the top step, looking up at her. "I forgot to tell you earlier, too, but that connection wasn't for free. Neither was the bracelet." My face paled.

"What's the price…?" I asked hesitantly. She smirked at my worry, "Don't worry, it's not your soul." I sighed in relief, my cheeks dusted pink at my stupid thought.

"The price for the bracelet is fairly simple. I merely get to take half of your magic. It won't hurt, and you'll be unaffected by it. Your magic will also replenish itself, so it'll be back in no time – like I didn't take a thing." Ah, that one wasn't so bad, though, what she wanted with my magic was beyond me. "The price for the connection is slightly more complicated. Your memories of the conversation will be completely erased by midnight." I blinked.

"Why by midnight?" My brows furrowed.

"Because that's the bewitching hour," She gave a hair-raising laugh. I guess that made sense..., "Your magic will also be taken at midnight. Be grateful that you didn't ask for something very high in price." I bit my lip to keep from whimpering. I'm really glad I didn't, too. I could only imagine all the things the prices would be if I asked for too much. A shiver travelled down my spine.

Oh. Right. "Hey, Akako-neesan," I decided I would keep calling her that, other than Akako-neechan or Akako-san. "How exactly will I be able to get back to my world?"

"Since the gem is bonded with you, and it's now your official outlet, you'll have to get the gem back and then it should take you back with a little help from me – which, to tell you ahead of time, won't be free. Then, you have to figure the rest out from there; how to fix the misbalance since the gem would, most likely, be whole. But, you can't go back to your world without the gem because only the gem and your magic can send you back; also, the gem has to be in the same dimension as you, or you'll die." Well, that wasn't troubling. Not one bit.

"Okay, thanks." I gave her a grin, and she turned, her red hair swishing behind her before she continued on, me following her, through the not-normal living room, to the first hallway and all the way back to the front door. She opened it, slipping on her shoes and gesturing for me to go out first. "I'll walk you home. It's too late for you to walk back by yourself, even if you are really thirteen." I pouted to myself. Darn this small body.

She walked out of the house after me and we headed down the creaking steps. She grabbed my hand before we continued on. I was happy to leave the strange household, listening to the crows calling behind us as we continued on. The forest was less creepy with someone there with me, too. Thank goodness. We continued through the forest, setting things up together.

ooOOoo

It was dark when we finally reached the Kuroba household. Akako rang the buzzer, informing Chikage that it was Koizumi Akako with Koizumi Alice (We had chatted on the way there and decided that I should take her surname; after all, I couldn't remain surname-less), and we walked through the gate to the door, which was opened by Kaito's mom. Akako let go of my hand when we reached the steps. She gave Chikage a polite half-bow and turned to go back to her house. "Bye, Akako-neesan!" I waved enthusiastically, and then turned to Chikage who welcomed me back into the house warmly.

"How was your visit?" She asked with a smile, closing the door behind us and walking with me to the kitchen. Dinner sounded great right now, and she had apparently read the signs that I was hungry.

"It was great; Akako-neesan helped me with a lot of things." Hey, it wasn't a lie. "Ne, where's Kaito-niichan?" I asked curiously. Chikage paused in her fridge opening for only a split second before she inconspicuously went on to grab the leftovers and took it out, closing the fridge with her hip as she danced over to get a plate from the cupboard.

"Ah, Kai-chan went to visit an old family friend of ours. His name is Konosuke Jii; he used to be my husband's assistant, but now he's Kaito's." She giggled, as if relishing in an inside secret that I wasn't supposed to know about. However, I already knew what she was talking about and had to force myself not to crack a knowing smirk.

"Ah, I see." We fell into content silence as she put the food on a plate and popped it into the microwave. The hum of the microwave lasted for a minute and thirty seconds before it binged and Chikage took it out and placed it in front of me. "Thank you." I flashed her a grin before beginning to eat.

Chikage sat in front of me, watching me intently as I ate. None of us broke the comfortable quietness until I finished my food and got up and put my plate in the sink. "I'm gonna go get changed, okay?" She nodded and I headed upstairs to Kaito's room, grabbed the shirt he lent me for a night gown, and then headed to the bathroom.

I shut the door behind me, my toes curling at the coldness of the tiles underneath my feet. I pulled my shirt and pants off and threw on Kaito's shirt, his unique smell assaulting my senses immediately. I hopped on to the bathroom counter, looking at my reflection. It had changed from the last time I had seen myself – that day in the car and the morning the day I went missing.

A child's face stared back at me, quipped with big, brown doe eyes and my short hair framed my face, curling at the ends and giving off the innocent look of a young girl. I looked a bit longer at myself before hoisting myself completely onto the counter. I stood on it, turning in the mirror to view the rest of my body. Since I was so tall, I looked more like a seven year old who just had a young-looking face. No wonder Kaito had let me walk through that forest on my own. He probably thought I was seven, along with Chikage, because I never did tell them my supposed age.

That also explains why Heiji had sounded so uncertain when he asked if I was three. That's good; I'll have a lot more freedom this way. After all, Detective Conan seven year olds actually have quite a bit of freedom. The Detective Boys run around on their own all the time. I smirked at myself in the mirror before jumping off the counter carefully.

I exited the bathroom, carrying the clothes I had used for the day and placing them in the dirty laundry holder before I headed to Kaito's room. I went inside, getting comfy in the futon we had decided the night before I would use, and then grabbed my bag, which had been transferred from Kaito's desk to underneath my pillow. I grabbed a notebook out of it quickly, starting to write down the conversation I had with my sister. If I was going to lose the memories, might as well be prepared, right?

After that was done, I put the stuff away, putting my bag underneath my pillow again and laying down, closing my eyes. Now, to figure out how to get the gem; if I'm correct, this one will be an actual gem, so it'll probably be under heavy security.

A smirk adorned my lips. I guess I could always do _that_….

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Haha, yeah, it was fast! XD This update was quicker – like a ninja! (Does Ridiculous Hand Gestures) XD And after you pointed that out, I was like, 'shoot, that's right!'. (Laughs) But, I had already been planning for me to look kinda older, and seven year olds in DC usually are able to run around by themselves – which I find immensely strange – so, I think I'd be okay. Maybe… ? XDD I'm just trying to find a loophole, don't mind me~! And, yeah, I do talk too mature, huh? (Bemused) Also explained by looking seven~! –shot– …..(Revives Self) And don't worry, I don't take it as a flame – you helped me see a big story flaw, so thank you~! (Bows) (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thankies, E-chan~! 3 **

**-Edit: Whoo, lots of continuity errors in this one. Never fear – I have fixed them! XD **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Another? Yes, another~! POW! (Laughs) Is it just me, or do these keep getting longer… -_- Oh well, long chapters are wonderful~! I love long chapters~! Sorry for any typos, I've been realizing a lot more of them, so I'm apologizing in advanced. XD Also, double digits! 8D **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan in any way or form. **

Chapter Ten

I shifted in the futon lazily, still in the middle of my hour sleep haze; an hour – or sometimes a lot longer – full of doing nothing but thinking. Thinking about everything and anything; thinking of the truth of the world, or the real reality of things, thinking about falsity, thinking about justice, thinking about everything the world has to think about. My sister had told me once that I think too much about everything when we had been discussing the threads of the universe and different dimensions that had different versions of ourselves. I had to agree with her; thinking too much brought up bad thoughts. But, it was a habit of mine that wasn't going to break anytime soon, so might as well embrace it.

Currently, I was going over the Detective Conan timeline. Since Heiji had just met Shinichi and the gang, and Shinichi had his first 'revival' to himself, a lot of things still haven't happened. Heck, the FBI weren't even here yet. Vermouth hasn't yet made her move on Sherry, Mizunashi Rena hasn't appeared yet, neither has Eisuke, or Bourbon, or Okiya Subaru – though, he's a special case. So much hasn't happened, and I'll most likely be here to watch it. Maybe it was just my sick way of entertainment, but I was really looking forward to the Clash of Red and Black arc where lots of trouble comes to light.

But, today was Friday, and it wasn't even close to anything _super_ important besides Heiji finding out about Conan in a few files, so I had nothing to worry about. There's no significant murder cases between that time, though that Library murder case would be coming up very soon, though I won't be nearby. That was a refreshing thought . Though, it'd be best to not let my guard down. After all, a lot of other incidents probably happen where Shinichi isn't present, and there could also be cases that they just didn't show in the anime or manga, for some reason. Best to keep on my toes.

Hmm, I wonder when I'll meet the main Detective Conan cast – so far, I've only met the main Magic Kaito characters. An ironic smile appeared on my lips. With my luck, I'll probably run into them at the most inconvenient time, I thought. I stopped short when I realized that I could possibly be jinxing myself. Great…

I let out a soft groan, turning to lie on my stomach and smother my face with my pillow. I let out a sigh before I brought my knees up and put my hands to the side of my head and pushed myself up into a crawling position. I hadn't really wanted to get up, but I couldn't exactly sleep all day here either. I had things to do and things to see; people to meet. Unlike in my world, I actually have to do things. In my world, I really did nothing important or anything significant. Every day was the same thing over and over again. Suddenly having things to do was a change of pace, but it wasn't exactly _bad_. Just tiring.

I sluggishly pulled my hair from my face, twisting so I could sit. Glancing over at Kaito's bed, I realized he was gone; probably left for school a short while ago, if the sun outside was any indication. It was high and bright and I brought a hand rest on my cheek, leaning against it while gazing out the window lazily. Better start to get ready…

With a sigh, I got to my feet, stretched, and walked out of Kaito's room, not bothering to fix the futon yet or to move my teddy bear back into my bag. The smell of breakfast lured me into the kitchen first and I saw Chikage bustling around, making eggs and bacon. I blinked slowly; you would think that she would have been long finished with making breakfast. Perhaps, she had slept in like I had and Kaito had had to make his own breakfast.

"Good morning…," I mumbled, taking a seat at the dining table – really, Kaito's house was very westernized. Chikage looked over her shoulder, saying her own good morning, and giggling before turning back to cooking. Eh, can't blame her for laughing. My hair was probably a mess. I shrugged it off, before slipping off the chair and pushing it to the front of the cabinets. I got on it, standing, and opened the cabinet, taking out a cup before getting off, opening the fridge and pouring myself some milk, before I placed my cup on the table and moved the chair back; sitting back down as if I hadn't done anything at all.

The sounds of Chikage cooking in the background faded away as I zoned out. I felt like I was forgetting something – something very important; something that I hadn't wanted to forget. What was it? Some parts of Akako's conversation kinda cut off, too. I remember her telling me about how I got here, and that she made me a bracelet, but there was something missing. Something…Off. Right before she told me that the bracelet wasn't free, there's a big, black, blank spot in my memory. My brows furrowed in frustration. What was it? Maybe I wrote it down in somewhere, I write down everything I don't want to forget because of my bad memory…

I was startled out of my thoughts when a plate was placed in front of me, an omelet and bacon covering the white porcelain. I looked up to see Chikage sitting down in her own chair already, a plate in front of her, too. "Ah, Thanks." I gave her a smile and she gave me on in return. "You're welcome."

We chimed together 'thank you for this meal' before we ate. It was, once again, a comfortable silence. The silence was broken by Chikage, "Alice-chan, your milk is probably getting warm." Ah, that's right! I got milk! I hurried to grab the cup and chug down the contents, not really caring that I was probably acting my current physical age. "Thanks for reminding me, Ch–Okaa-san." I gave her a grin.

She giggled at the childish display, before reaching over with a napkin to wipe the side of my mouth. I flinched in surprised, and she pulled pack after she was done. "You had a milk mustache." She explained. Oh… I gave her a sheepish look.

We finished breakfast, happily chatting after we had broken the silence once again. We talked about everything, but I avoided the subject of family, knowing it'll probably be a touchy subject for Chikage, and also for me. Couldn't exactly tell her I was feeling kinda lonely. No contact with my mom or sister in four and a half days – well, five and a half, if I included today. I found it strange to be eating breakfast, too, because I never really ate it. If I had to, yes, but if no one was actually there to tell me to eat it, I wouldn't. Usually didn't eat lunch either, just dinner. It wasn't because I was worried about my weight or anything, it just…Was an annoyance to sit down and eat when I could be doing much more productive things. Guess I was like Shinichi in that aspect; skipping meals if I was too into what I was doing.

After breakfast, we washed up the plates together, and then I went to get ready for the day. Dressed for the day, Chikage joined me as I was heading out of the bathroom, my hair still a spiky mess. She gave me a giggle and a wide smile and she picked me up to bring her to her room. I let out a surprised yelp, looking over her shoulder with wide eyes as the world bounced with her every step and the ground was far away. Wow, now I know why Shinichi hates getting man-handled; it's disorienting and it hurts the pride… I could practically feel it being ripped to shreds. Ow, ow, ow.

I was placed gently on Chikage's bed and she left me in a flurry of happiness, darting off to what seemed to be her personal bathroom. Her bed was soft and her room spelled of faded roses. Not an overpowering smell, but one that made you feel nostalgic, even if you didn't know why. I noticed a large portrait, much like the one in Kaito's room, but instead with Chikage and Toichi smiling with flowers petals falling around them. They were near a Sakura tree, it seemed. Chikage was wearing a white gown that flowed beautifully around her, simple but elegant, and Toichi was wearing a white tuxedo. It looked like a wedding picture. A small smile made way to my lips. Figures Toichi wouldn't wear black on his wedding day. He looked better in white, anyways.

"That's my husband; he passed away eight years ago." Chikage's soft voice cut off my musings. I turned to see her looking at the picture, her eyes slightly sad but happy at the same time.

I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. I didn't actually think he was dead, after a certain conversation my sister and I had one night, but instead was in hiding. He was a master of disguise, after all, and seemed to be prepared to die, leaving Kaito a cassette tape and an eight year lock on the 'lair' door. I even had a vague idea of who he might be. But, I wasn't about to tell her that.

"He seemed like a wonderful person." I intoned, my voice just as soft. She turned to give me a bright smile, her eyes lighting up as she remembered things. "Yes, he was." She said. "He was always smiling and seemed unreliable, but he was very capable." She giggled, taking a seat next to me and I noticed the box she had brought with her. She opened it, revealing a bunch of hair products, brushes, and hair ties. My face paled a bit – _she wouldn't… _

She turned me around and my theory was confirmed as she started to brush my hair slowly, continuing to talk. "When we went on dates, he would pick me up in the strangest ways. Always showing up extravagantly, and giving me a flower before we went on the date. He always seemed to know the perfect places to go, too, that we would both enjoy." I relaxed into her ministrations, my eyes returning to their normal size in comfort. I listened very carefully to what she was saying, interested.

"And the way we met is a funny experience. Back then, he had given me a sweet comment and a kiss, and that's how we had started dating. Now that I think about it, we hadn't known anything about each other at the time…," She trailed, trying to find the right words. "…We just clicked." She decided on, and I almost cooed at the cuteness. Soul mates, that's what they were.

I winced as she hit a tangle in my hair, and I waited for her to get it out, my hair pulling painfully. Once the knot was gone, she put the brush down, done with brushing my hair. She twisted to grab a few hair ties from The Box of Things and turned back to me, splitting my hair down the back and pulling one side into a ponytail. Oh no, she wasn't gonna…

Yup, she was gonna, I deadpanned as she pulled the other side into a ponytail as well, setting my hair into two short pigtails. She brushed the pigtails carefully, and then twisted to get out two blue ribbons the same color as my transformer bracelet string – now that I looked at it, it was actually a very dark blue, not black like I had thought in the dark chamber of Akako's – and she tied them in bows over the hair ties, making it looks like my hair was being held by ribbons instead of the hair tie.

"There we go." She announce happily, picking me up and bringing me into her bathroom so I could look in the mirror and see the results. I guess it didn't look bad. In fact, it looked quite well with my young image, but it was still embarrassing. My cheeks were tinted a dusty pink. "Thank you, Okaa-san~!" I chimed, though, wanting to please Chikage.

She gave me a wide smile. "Now, then." She stated, placing me on the ground and going to pick up The Box of Things and returning it to under her sink. While she was closing the doors to the cabinet, I noticed a big makeup kit, too. I really hope she never uses that on me, I absently thought.

"Why don't you and I go buy some groceries? I'm going to be leaving to travel a bit more, so we should get enough food so that Kaito doesn't have to go get them. He's bad in grocery stores." She chuckled, most likely thinking about how he was 'bad in grocery stores'. Well, there were a lot of fish in super markets…

"A trip? Where are you going?" I asked, curiously, walking with her down the stairs and to the front of the house where we both donned light jackets and our shoes. Thankfully, I had shoes that fit from that social worker lady.

"I'm going to Paris~! I have some work to do there, so I'll be gone for a while." She stated, and my eyes narrowed at the lie. Work in Paris? But, she just travels for fun, according to Kaito… But, work. She could be working, but what type of work? What is she _really_ doing? She _was_ The Phantom Lady, so maybe she knows about the organization that killed Toichi and is looking for Pandora, as well, just more discrete than Kaito. Or, is it possible that she's…? No, that's a stupid thought. She should know that that would be too dangerous. Then again, Kurobas do seem to disregard that they're in danger and rush into it, anyways. Maybe she was, then…

"Ah, I see. Paris, huh? It sounds fun~! Have you been there before?" I questioned, digging a bit more; heh, it was kinda easy to get information when you're small. When you're older, people just immediately label you as a nosy person who likes to get involved in everyone's business. Well, I am, but no one really needs to know that, right?

We walked out of the house, Chikage locking up the door, and grabbing my hand as we began to go to the super market that – I assumed – was nearby. "Yes, I have. It was a while ago, though, so I decided that I should check in to see how the situation is." Check in to see how the situation is, huh? _Definitely_ sounds like she's doing what I thought. I mentally face palmed. Darn Kurobas; always doing things that endanger themselves.

"Ah, well, I hope you have a good trip." I smiled at her. "When are you leaving?"

"This afternoon, an hour before Kai-chan gets back from school. I told him this morning, so he told me that he'd take good care of you while I'm gone. He'll enroll you in school this weekend." She explained, turning a corner and leading me to the super market that was just across the street. Funny, I didn't notice that on my way here – then again, the station was on the other side and I was only going through the neighborhood, never got this far. Wait…Did she just say…? Damn it all. Enrolling into school means that I'm going to have to do first grader things again….

We got into the store and I shivered at the sudden temperature drop. But, this was enlightening. When she leaves this afternoon, I'll have a whole hour to myself. I smirked. Perfect.

ooOOoo

I waved as Chikage left after she had gotten me situated and made sure I would be fine on my own. A reassuring smile was on my lips as I wished her a good, safe, trip. She closed the door behind her and I waited in silence, the clock the only noise, for ten minutes. Once ten minutes were over, I grinned sharply to myself; time to get to work.

I hurried into Kaito's room, grabbing my bag and digging through it until I reached my watch. I placed it on the floor next to my futon and grabbed a notebook – if I was going to do this, I'm going to record how many times I've done it. She said it'd have the same effect on the body, I just won't feel the pain. That means I could be ruining my heart and I wouldn't feel it until it's too late. No, thank you. That was too risking in my book; recording everything might help, even if just a bit.

I grabbed the book, a sense of déjà vu hitting me. I…Did this yesterday night. What did I write, though? I couldn't remember. I quickly flipped through the filled pages, watching as the dates progress from the beginning of the year and stopped at the most recent entry. Yesterday. My eyes darted across the words, taking in the writing that was clearly my handwriting – not really unique, but I had a habit of switching between three types of A's – and when I was done reading, I laughed. Nice thinking, past-self. Well, at least I know that I _had_ been in contact with my sister; couldn't remember, but she could remember. And, I could quite possibly contact her again… Hm.

I snapped myself out of my thoughts, glancing at the clock. I didn't have time to be thinking, I needed to get ready! I hurried to grab a pen and write down the day's date, inputting that I'd be the first time to turn back to my normal body. After that, I grabbed the notebook, my clothes – the ones I had been wearing when transported here – and my watch, heading into the bathroom. I shut the door behind me, turning to the center of the room. I stripped my clothes, and looked down at the bracelet.

Okay, on the way here, I asked Akako how to use it. She said she hadn't programmed it with a command word yet, so we had decided on the way here. She said that even if the word/words was/were spoken, if it wasn't said by me, it wouldn't work. Even if someone imitated my voice. Good – with Kaito and Shinichi, that would just be _asking_ for shit to hit the fan. I sucked in a deep breath, afraid that it would hurt, before I said the command words.

"_**Wake me, if you're out there.**_" It was said as a whisper instead of the strong voice I had been going for, but it worked all the same; the words were laced with magic, making them sound powerful despite being quiet.

A warm pulse echoed through my body as it began to change slowly. It wasn't painful, like Akako said it would be, but it was more of a feeling that I was overexerting myself. My skin was getting warm, and I was sweating a bit, my heart rate going a mile a minute.

After a couple long minutes, I was back in my original body, leaning against the bathroom counter on my forearms, panting. God, it feels like I had just run through the desert without water for days without stopping – but, it was admittedly better than the pain. Once I caught my breath, I looked up, seeing my original face staring back at me. A smile broke across my face and I hurried to get dressed, stumbling a bit in my haste. I made sure to fold the kiddy clothes and leave them on the counter. My hand snapped on my watch and I checked the time. I had three days in this body everytime I changed, but I'd have to be back in 45 minutes. Enough time, if I was quick.

Ready to go, I went back to Kaito's room to record how the process went, then slung my bag around my neck and went to the door. I reached in my bag, taking out my fitting shoes and quickly put them on. I was really glad I had changed the bracelet back to its original size when I had, otherwise it'd be cutting off the blood circulation in my wrist. I made sure to put my hat on my head, shadowing over my eyes, as I headed out of the house, not bothering to lock it behind me. I had left the TV on, so people should think that someone is home.

I pulled out the map I had found in my bag – how did that get there? – and started towards the nearest clothing shop. If I was to do this correctly, I'd have to go to several different ones to buy each article of clothing, just so they can't track me down. I had some money with me, too, so I should be able to pay for everything – that had also been converted to yen when I was transported here; darn gem was thorough.

Well, at least it comes in handy. A happy grin was on my face as I made it to the store; it was a simple place where they kept various clothing choices. I immediately headed to get my first purchase, a nice pair of black silk gloves, comfortable and flexible; also handy for hiding incriminating fingerprints…

**-I know, I know. Those were the worst command words ever. Could you blame me, though? I couldn't think of a thing… (Laughs) This was going to be longer, but I decided to cut it in half, so it was two chapters. XD **

**-Edit: The word 'bad' somehow was written as 'back' a lot in this chapter. There was even a part where I wrote, 'then I slung my back around my neck.' Whoo. Sounds painful! XDD **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Well, I was supposed to go to Kansas today, but it didn't end up happening. But, still, hearing that we would be going to Kansas spawned this strange chapter. It's irrelevant, but has some Alice/Kaito fluff. I luvs fluff~! Also, it may seem like Alice likes Kaito in this, but don't worry. I would never put them together in this fic. XDDD Just to warn you beforehand. (Laughs) Her attraction will be explained in the next chapter…Maybe. Or I could just leave it a mystery; I dun really care. (Cackles) Also, Conan and co. will be showing up verrryyyy soon. (Evil Grin) Also, this chapter is made of epic fail and epic shortness; despite that, I hope you enjoy anyways~!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form.**

Chapter Eleven

I grabbed a black and white striped, half-long sleeved turtleneck from the rack, grinning at it. It was perfect. I headed to check-out with a bounce in my step; it was last article on my list, and the last of my money. After the person bagged it, I grabbed it and stuffed it in my bag with everything else I bought – despite its size, it could hold a lot. I glanced at my watch and froze. I had less than ten minutes to get back at the house, transform back, get dressed, put my stuff back to where it had been, and then sit back in front of the TV, acting like nothing happened. My heart skipped a beat. Could I make it?

I didn't bother thinking about it as I pulled my hat lower over my eyes, telling the man behind the cashier a quick thanks, and then dashing out of the store. I hurried to pull out the map and scanned it through. The fastest route would be to turn left at the next corner, make a right at the second corner, and then to go straight from there. But, to get back to the Kuroba household, I needed to go passed Kaito's school. Daring, but I'd have to do that, otherwise I'd never make it on time – would get home after Kaito does. Then, what was I supposed to say? 'Oh, sorry, I went out for a stroll; don't mind that I'm bigger than you remember'? Hah, that'd go down _wonderfully_.

I let out a manic laugh as I rounded the corner sharply, easily side-stepping a stray cat that had been in my path. I loved running. Sure, it was tiring, but the wind through my hair and hitting my face with an almost painful clarity was amazing. A feeling of being free. My breath came out in short pants as I accelerated, not caring that I probably looked like a crazy person – laughing and running at top speed.

I skidded to a stop quickly, putting my hands in front of me to catch myself before I hit the wall. I sucked in deep breaths, taking a look around the corner, seeing Ekoda high school. There were students coming out, but Kaito wasn't in sight. Lucky~! I rounded the corner calmly, making sure that my light scarf was covering my face from my eyes down, my hat low, and my hands shoved in my pockets. I probably looked suspicious, but as long as I passed here, I would be home free. Plus, since it was chilly today for some reason, there was no harm wearing this.

Walking quickly, I passed the first corner, and then came to the next, turning right and then beginning to run again. It's just straight from here, thank goodness. Kaito's house came into view, and I grinned behind my dark blue scarf. Come on, come on! I leaned against the door when I made it there for a second before hurrying inside, locking the door behind me.

Quickly going to the bathroom upstairs, I tried to take off my scarf quickly – resulting myself almost choking myself to death… – and took off my shoes. My hat was off in a moment and I stripped the rest of my clothes with a practiced ease. I hurried to say my command words again. The warm pulse was quick to fill my body, as if realizing my haste.

Before I knew it, I was back into the devastatingly tiny body and I put on the clothes as quick as I could. When I was done, I hopped onto the counter to stare at my reflection for a second, making sure that Chikage's hair style hadn't been messed up with my careless quickness. But, still, darn those pigtails. I jumped back to the floor with a flush on my cheeks and hurried into the living room downstairs, collapsing on the couch and pretending I had been watching TV the whole time.

_Wow, that was too close for my taste_, I internally commented as I heard a key being placed in the lock. Kaito entered the house cheerfully, calling out, "I'm home. Alice-chan, are you okay?" Ah, parental concern already. Kaito, aren't you only a teen? I smirked at my internal musings and called out in return, "Welcome home, Kaito-niichan! And yup, I'm fine~!"

He came into my view as he entered the living room, taking off his dark gakuran with ease. I swear I could see sparkles around him as he ran a hand through his hair as he took it off, smiling softly. Wow, talk about model material. I snorted quietly at my thoughts, trying to get rid of my amusing thoughts of hearing the song 'this is why I'm hot' playing in the background. Haha, what the _heck_ was I thinking?

"Alice-chan, your face is red; do you have a fever?" A cool hand was placed on my forehead as Kaito sat on the couch next to me, turning my head gently towards his direction. I flinched back, hurriedly yelling out an excuse, "I'm fine! I'm just happy your back!" I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment at the lame excuse, but Kaito chuckled and let it go, leaning back into the couch.

Gosh, what was wrong with me? Dannie's preferences must be rubbing off on me. Either that, or the transformation makes me loopy. Could be either one, really. Probably the latter.

Kaito stood up, and headed upstairs, telling me he'd be back after he changed into casual clothes. I nodded in agreement, and went back to watching the TV. It was on a commercial. Something about a certain mattress being better than another mattress; not something interesting. My eyes roved over the room as a fit of paranoia hit me full, chilling me to the bone. The house was strange without Chikage here; her warm presence was usually by my side and now she was gone. It was…Strange, to say the least. Again, weird thoughts, Lui.

Kaito came down the stairs as quickly as he went up, changed into casual clothes and looking ready to walk out the door any moment. He looked over to me, this time a grin more fit for the Cheshire cat playing on his lips. That was worrisome. "I didn't notice before because I was worried that you had a fever, but…," His voice was brimming with excitement.

"You're so cute with your hair like that~!" He immediately came over and scooped me up into a crushing hug, swinging me around in glee. He pulled me back, letting me gasp for air as I had been smothered with his chest, and he looked down at me with glittering eyes before something that sounded suspiciously like a camera clicked several times consecutively. After I had caught my breath, I looked over to the side where Kaito's phone was taking photos of us.

I groaned in silent misery as my cheeks blossomed to another shade of pink. Is this what it would be like to have an older brother?

He leaned forward and kissed my cheek, making me freeze in place, but he didn't notice as he kept jabbering about how I was 'so cute and adorable' and 'that's my little girl'. Truthfully, I'm surprised that he had gotten so attached in the few days I had been here, but then again so had Chikage. Maybe it was a Kuroba thing to love small things quickly. Or something like that.

Eventually, he put me down and crouched down in front of me. "We're going to go to one of my friend's house for dinner, okay? The girl who dragged me off to school this morning; don't worry, she's nicer than she seems at first glance." He laughed and I chuckled a little wearily. "But, before that, I want you to meet another friend of mine; he used to be my dad's assistant." He said and I grew surprised. I was going to meet two more characters in one day – how cool is that!

We headed out the house, heading to a Billiard Hall called 'Blue Parrot'.

ooOOoo

I yawned to myself, as we headed back from Aoko's house. It was dark already, the sky a dark, dark blue. Kaito was talking about something with me, but I couldn't hear anything – it all just sounded drowned out, as if I was under water. My eyes were looking straight, but I wasn't seeing anything. I was faded deep into the corners of my mind in thought.

I should probably meet up with Conan soon, during the week. Note to self, avoid Conan until you know that the Library murder case is over. It wouldn't due to look like a psychopath because I was laughing so hard because I knew exactly how creepy the guy was. But, I'd definitely want to check things out. I can tell Kaito that I'm going to see a detective, to see if they can find my parents or something; once I said the certain agency, he should let me go on my own. Ah, freedom as being seen as a seven year old instead of a three year old was very helpful.

I'd have to come up with an excuse for the Conan and company, but that would be alright; I had been okay with them up until now – though, given that they were super shaky and one checkup on who I really was would completely shatter at a gentle touch, but other than that, it was okay.

My thoughts were drawn over to the visit with Jii and Aoko. Jii was a very nice old man; he treated me as if I was his granddaughter or something. Though, in those old wise eyes of his, I could tell he knew something was different about me. Never underestimate old people, apparently. Aoko, well, she was very overwhelming, in an amusing way. She had been all over the place with conversation, bouncing from school, to Kaito's idiocy, to how cute I was – gosh, I just knew by the end of week two, I would damn _sick_ of people calling me cute – and to various other subjects. Despite that, her chatter was easy to keep up with, and we had gotten along really well. So, I think everything went relatively good tonight.

Two hands grabbing my underarms and raising me into a warm hold startled me from my thoughts and I looked at Kaito who was looking at me bemusedly.

"You looked like you were about to fall over any minute." He explained, shifting me so I was in a more comfortable position and despite myself, I plopped my head on his shoulder, too exhausted to even care. "We're almost home, though, then you can go to sleep." His voice was soothing…

Without realizing, I fell asleep right then and there. Saturday was tomorrow, after all, and I could sleep in all I wanted….

**Review Replies:**

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Its okay. Schedules are bound to become more hectic, since school is back. ^^ Haha, yes, that is my lame way of explaining things. XD And thank you once again for your help. 8D (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan! o^^o **

**-I CHANGED THE TIMELINE FOR THE STORY, SO I AM NO LONGER IN THE CLASH OF RED AND BLACK ARC, BUT AM NOW AT THE PART WHERE HATTORI HEIJI FIRST APPEARS; WELL, A BIT AFTER THAT. I CHANGED SOME THINGS IN THE STORY WITH MY EDIT, BUT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ IT ALL OVER AGAIN. I PUT THIS HERE. THANK YOU FOR READING. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Whoo! Pointless chapter time~! 8DD –shot–; –revives– This chapter is dedicated to my sister! Good luck on your tournament, sis~! Don't worry, you'll do fine! 8DD –shot again–**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Twelve

I woke to someone shaking me gently, trying to rouse me from sleep. I gave an audible animalistic growl, flashing my canines in the general direction of my disturber, the hands hesitating for a long moment, before they went back to shaking. I groan loudly in annoyance. So much for sleeping how I long I want to. Really, who would be up at this ungodly hour on a weekend, anyways? My eyes split just a bit, the figure in front of me blurred as I thought cynically, 'this better be fuckin' important…,'.

Kaito's grinning face met my sight and I internally sighed. Of course, _Kuroba Kaito_ – his name came out as a venomous hiss, even in my mind – would be one that would wake up this early on a weekend. He tapped my nose, the irritating grin never leaving his face. "Come on, Alice-chan, wake up~! We're going shopping today~!" He cooed near my face, making me come forward sharply, snapping my teeth threateningly. It wasn't an empty threat, either. I _would_ bite him, if I felt like it.

Despite my just-go-die glare and my bared teeth, he scooped me up, effectively making me lose my composure and to whine in protest as he picked up some of his old clothes – a pair of boyish shorts, a jersey t-shirt, along with a hat he decided to snatch up for style – and brought me to the bathroom. He set me on the counter and I flinched as the cold surface seeped through the light blue pajamas Chikage had dug up from Kaito's old stuff a bit before she left. I'm glad. I didn't want to wear Kaito's shirt as a night dress the whole time – it would be kinda strange.

I yelped in surprise when my face was suddenly rubbed with something damp and slightly rough. Kaito laughed at my expense, ignoring my deadpanned face, and continued rubbing my face with the towel gently. I closed my eyes when he waited for them to close so he could rub my eyes. Then he was done, pulling back and grinning at me.

"There! You look much more alive now!" He stated in a jovial tone that made me think he was definitely inhuman. How can someone be so _cheerful_ and _lively_ in the morning? So annoying...I grumbled internally as he continued on, "You looked so dead earlier! You don't seem to be used to getting up early, so 'Kaa-chan told me to wake you up early this weekend so you can adjust to school a bit better. Though, why she told me to do that is strange, considering you've probably been going to school." He laughed and I laughed awkwardly along.

I did go to school, but more of often than not, I would skip. Bad habit, and I _would_ have had to be held back since I missed too much days last year, but since I had high grades, they couldn't. Ha! Eat that, school!

Oh well, Kaito didn't need to know that. He walked out of the bathroom after putting me on the ground. "Anyways, get ready, Alice-chan. Like I said earlier, we have to go shopping~!" He seemed too excited about this revelation. Hmm, suspicious…

With that, I was left with my devices, the door closing behind Kaito, and I hurried to do all the mornings usual. Really, I wonder why Chikage had so much child things – a child's toothbrush, bath toys which I was admittedly taken with, children's toothpaste, and shampoo, too. It was like she knew I was coming here, which was unnerving in itself. I'd have to ask her about that later, when she comes back. Whenever that may be. After I was all ready, dressed and clean, I headed down to the kitchen where Kaito was sipping on something that looked like coffee – though, I would bet millions it was actually hot chocolate – and reading the newspaper.

I stopped my snort. He's like an old man…

I pocketed my new cell phone I got from Akako with a slight smile. She had actually given me a lot of advice and things I could use on the way back – making things appear in flashes of what looked like black electricity. She had even given some dangerous toys to use for other more…Risky…jobs in this world, too. She seemed to know exactly what I was going to do. And here I used to think she was a witch – hah, don't mind the pun – but she was actually very nice when she wanted to be, despite her still be condescending and rude to a fault. Can't say I'm not like that, sometimes, though, too. Must run in the family, well, my other half of family. Or were they my full family, since, technically, I am related? Or distantly related? Am I even consider completely related, or is more of a 'not really, but if you were' type of thing? …I'm stopping there, I'm just going to get myself confused.

_Akako looked down at me with bemused eyes as I fiddled with the phone she gave me – it was black in color and seemed strange to me, though, I couldn't pinpoint what made it so strange. It looked like a normal phone. _

"_I think you'll find the phone quite handy. My number is programmed as speed dial #1; though, please refrain from calling unless it's important." She smirked at me as I continued giving the phone a wide-eyed look. _

"_Also, I think you'll find the ringtone I chose to be highly amusing." She gave another of her hair-raising laughs. "And with that phone, I'm sure you'll be alright; just…think of it as a lucky charm." I gave her a questioning look but brushed it off. _

_A lucky charm, huh? That was a weird way to think of a phone… _

"Ah, Alice-chan, you're ready." Kaito's gleeful voice cut through my memories and I flinched as I was brought back to reality. "Good," He grabbed my hand and led me to the front door. "We're gonna have lots of fun today – trust me!" He gave a Cheshire grin and I refrained to bang my head against the wall. That smile looks _too_ happy.

My inner protests were never heard as I was whisked out of the door in a flurry of happiness.

ooOOoo

Shopping. That's the word Kaito had used. I didn't think he would mean _clothes_ shopping. He was the man, yet he seemed to be enjoying himself a lot more than I was. In fact, I was the one being tortured. Why? Because we were buying clothes for _me_. I had protested at first, but he said that it would be okay and I should at least have a few articles of girl clothing. Since I was so reluctant to buy things, he promised we would only buy a few skirts, pants, leggings, and shirts. Too many for my tastes, but who was I to deny Kaito of his enthusiasm?

Even though we had we already bought the few things we 'needed', Kaito was still having me try things on like crazy. I swear, sometimes I wondered about him. Then, I would remember he was Kaitou KID, and how he had seemed too comfortable in a skirt and heels – walking extremely well in them, as if he was _used_ to it – in those times he disguised as a girl, and I would immediately stop my train of thought because I don't think I really _wanted_ to know.

I licked my lips, annoyed as I walked out of the dressing room to show off the dress I was wearing. It was frilly and girly and pink and bright and just…ugh. Kill me now. Kaito gave me a squeezing hug and told me how I looked adorable – gosh, that line was going to get someone killed, I swear – and then swept me back into the changing room with yet another article of disgusting – in my opinion; it just didn't…fit…for me – clothing.

Damn him…

We spent a few more hours at the store after that; it was all just a blur to me after I went in my default mode. After the shopping trip, we had headed home to drop off the clothing, and then Kaito had brought me somewhere else. We had boarded the bus and we chattered away casually as we headed to our destination.

It was like the calm before the storm. Everything just seemed so normal, spending the day shopping with a friend and talking. I knew it wouldn't last, but at a time like this, I couldn't bring myself to care. Because, in this moment, everything was perfect. Even just for bit.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when the bus came to a stop and I looked out the window with interest as the sounds of mechanics moving and the sound of excited screams rebounded from close by. I felt an ecstatic gasp escape my mouth as I gazed at the park.

Kaito seemed delighted to hear my happiness and I hurried to grab his hand drag him out of the bus, running up with him to the entrance of the large place. We headed into the park after paying for our entrance fees and Kaito directed me like a tour guide, showing off the park as if it was his own.

We spent the rest of the day at Tropical Land.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Raifuujin – Haha, that's okay. I don't review on a lot of stories I read. XD Yeah, I decided to stay with the MK cast instead of the DC cast because of the magic feature – and thank you for saying that was ingenious; I wasn't sure if I was overdoing it. XDDD – and I think it would be interesting to stay with them instead of the DC cast. I like sneaking around and to stay with the DC cast, Shinichi would probably sniff me out like a blood hound. (Laughs) Haha, you're welcome. ^^ I usually don't mind OCs with characters, but to pair what I see as myself with Kaito just rubs me the wrong way. I mean, I dunno… ^^; And yeah, I had other reasons as the author, but mostly because I kinda wanted to be there for a lot more things and putting myself at the Clash of Red and Black arc made me miss a lot of things. XD Holmes Freak murder case? Why, I would never~! (Grins innocently) –hint, hint– (Laughs) You'll just have to wait and see~! ;3 Thank you for reading~! o^^o **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Ah, that's okay, E-chan. I get confused with the episodes, too. XDDD But, the Library Murder Case is episode 50. ^^ In the case, Conan and the Detective Boys go to the library to check out a book that Conan can use for a book report that everyone finished but him, since he was absent for three days. When they get to the library, some strange things happen, and they figure out that the head of the library killed someone – surprise, surprise, a murder – and late at night when the library is closed, they snoop around to find evidence and stuff. But, since one of the Detective Boys turned on the lights when the head of the library was just outside, he saw the lights, but they thought he was already gone, but he wasn't. They keep trying to find the body and evidence, and the library head keeps following them around like a creepazoid. (Laughs) And I **_**mean**_** creepazoid. I mean, jeez. XDDD Overall, it's one of my favorite episodes, just because of the way he follows them around like a psychopath with a vengeance to hide his crime – which he is, but that's beside the point… XDD And yay! I'm glad you like it~! I luvs fluffs~! X3 And yeah. (Nods) I don't oppose them, in fact, I like to read them and sometimes write it when I'm in the mood, but this story is strictly friendship. Pairing someone up with a character as I see somewhat like myself would be…weird… (Shrugs) I dunno. XDD;; (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thankies, E-chan~! o^^o **

**-Wow! Long review replies today! Hurray for being happy enough to talk a lot~! XDDD Must be because I got three seasons of Case Closed this week~! Ah, happy times, happy times… (Blissful Grin) **

**Oh, also, this happened a couple days ago, and I thought it was amusing. XD **

**Okay, see, I was eating a late dinner…again, and it was steak. My mom handed it to me and I started eating while she headed back to the fridge. "Do you want barbeque sauce?" She had asked and I guffawed. I mean, it was too funny not to. "Barbeque sauce with steak?!" I had replied bemusedly, still laughing and eating, mind you – I'm not very proper when it comes to anything. She laughed along. "Well, you **_**know **_**we're out of A-one sauce." She had replied, in a 'that explains everything' tone. Considering our family, I guess it **_**did**_** explain everything… **

**Also, to anyone who eats steak with barbeque sauce, I hope you didn't find this offensive. I have nothing against it, but it just seemed amusing at the time. XD **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Crappy chapter is crappy. –shot– Also, my sister won third place in her competition! Awesome job, sista! 8D **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

After 'catwalk, AKA: shopping torture, and Tropical Land' Saturday, Sunday passed by in a breeze – we had only relaxed and spent some time with Aoko and went to go get my needed school supplies. It was currently Monday, and my first day of elementary…again. _Yippee…_

"There you go, Alice-chan." Kaito's voice stated behind me, where he had just finished brushing and putting clips into my hair to make it more presentable from the 'crow's nest' it had been earlier in the morning. It's not like I really cared what my hair looked like – it hadn't been completely terrible either, but more of the stylishly-messy hair that I usually had – but he had opposed. Something about first impressions being important, or whatever. Truly, Kaito and Chikage were so alike it was scary. But, now my hair was as tame as it could get, with clips holding back my bangs to one side. It really didn't surprise me that Kaito was so good at doing hair.

"Thanks, Kaito-niichan." I smiled at him, and hopped off the counter I had been propped on, and moved to the living room to gather my stuff. "By the way," I continued when he followed me in a similar fashion. "What school am I going to?" I questioned, wondering what the name would be. They never did mention what Ekoda's elementary school was called.

Kaito grabbed his bag and we walked out of the house, him locking up behind us, as we began walking to our destination. Kaito would be walking me to school this one time so I could remember the route, and then I would be able to walk alone the rest of the week. Ah, again, the joys of looking seven in Detective Conan~!

"Well, since Ekoda Elementary school is full, you'll be going to the second closest school – Teitan Elementary~!"He cheered and I froze, looking up at him with wide eyes. He hadn't said that, right? I must be hearing things. It's too early. I must be tired. Very tired. Supremely tired. Because, really, what are the odds of me being stuck in the very same school Shinichi is going to? It couldn't be some type of conspiracy where every single shrunken person somehow ends up in Teitan Elementary. Right? Or…Maybe it was… This must be fate getting back at me for something I don't remember…

"Oh, I see." I said thoughtfully, my shock flooding out of my system as I continued walking along with Kaito. Well, at least I wouldn't have to come up with an excuse to meet Shinichi. I'll just meet him as 'Conan-kun's new transfer student'. A smirk adorned my lips – this was actually perfect. Maybe I can keep my cover a bit longer, then. I didn't feel like telling Shinichi _just_ yet.

I blinked out of my thoughts when I heard rushing water nearby. I looked over to the side to see a river. "That's the Teimuzu River. It's what separates Beika City and Ekoda City." Kaito intoned from my side and I gaped in surprise. I knew they lived close, but _this _close! Gosh, they're only a river away from each other… How… intriguing.

I stopped gaping like a fish – hah, if only the one beside me could hear my thoughts – and we went across the bridge. Kaito stopped walking and pointed over to a bus stop where people were getting on. "That public bus will take you to a spot closing to the school." He explained as we went over and boarded the bus – without paying the fee. The bus driver had merely given us a nod and a warm smile directed at Kaito before shutting the doors and moving on. I blinked at the bus driver in interest before shrugging it off.

We sat down on our seats and I turned to my companion. "Hey, why'd we get on for free?" My eyes narrowed in slight suspicion as Kaito's face seemed to transform into perfect carefree and careless face – his pokerface. "Well, he owed my oyaji a favor, apparently. I just met him recently and he really wanted to help with something big, but I said it would be fine if he just let me and my companions ride for free. I barely come to Beika that much anyways, and if I do, I usually walk, so I don't feel bad for taking free rides once in a while." Guess that makes sense. The nervousness was easily explained as, 'my dad helped him as Kaitou KID, and he knows'. Geez, I seem to over analyze everything in this world… I internally face palmed at myself.

After we reached the stop, we walked the short distance to the school and entered, Kaito pointing out where the principal's office was before taking off back to Ekoda, where he had school. I nervously shuffled off my shoes and put on a pair of indoor shoes, heading over to the office. I knocked politely at the door that said 'Headmaster's room'.

"Come on in," The old, but jovial, voice said.

I hesitantly walked inside, my eyes immediately locating the name plate on the desk that read 'Uematsu Ryujiro'. My eyes were then drawn to the man behind the desk, smiling just like any other day. He had brown hair, and tanned skin – though, not nearly as dark as Heiji's had been. He had a beard and mustache and eyebrows that were long and drooping down the side of his face. I hadn't known it was possible to have such long eyebrows, but apparently it was. I kept my bemused comment to myself, though, and walked closer to his desk.

"Ah, nice to meet you." I bowed politely, trying to remember Japanese etiquette when it came to school. I came up blank as I shuffled nervously. A hearty laugh – a bit wheezy – met my ears and I looked up sharply to the principal…er, headmaster.

I blinked as he continued to laugh a bit. "There's no need to be so nervous, child." The way he said it wasn't condescending, very unlike Akako, but more of a humorous way. I gave him an edged smile and moved closer. "You're the new transfer student, then, right?" He asked kindly, shifting some things on his desk and I absentmindedly wondered how he could see with his eyes closed.

But, I nodded at his question and he seemed to see it, so I guess he could. Must be an anime world thing because people in the real…er, my world would definitely end up running into a poll by doing that. He pulled out a manila file and opened it. "You came from the United States, huh? And you've got quite good grades, too. We're happy to have you as our student." He gave me a smile, putting the file back into the desk.

My mind was roving, though, as he got up and began walking me to my classroom. I had files? In this world? Since _when_?! Ah, wait…, "_I'll take care of the little things that may become a problem, so don't worry about those._" Akako had said that. I frowned pensively. Why do I have the feeling all these free favors are going to collapse on me one day? I decided to worry about it later as we stopped in front of the teachers room. The headmaster called over my teacher, who led me over to class 1-B. Gosh, help me. I was in Conan's class… That made it official, it was a conspiracy.

ooOOoo

"It's nice to meet you! I'm Yoshida Ayumi!"

"And I'm Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko, nice to meet you, Koizumi-san." It was weird being called that.

"My name's Kojima Genta, nice to meet you!"

"And, together, we are the Detective Boys!" They cheered in unison, practically glowing with innocence and happiness. I had to keep myself from cooing at the adorable-ness. They were even cuter in person; killing me with their cuteness rays. "Nice to meet you all." I replied politely, a smile on my face. Ayumi sidled closer, beaming childishly. _Gahh_…My heart just melted. "There's one more person in our group, too. His name is Edogawa Conan! He's really smart!" She started.

"He's absent, though, so he's not here." She ended with a disappointed note. Ah, young love.

"Really? That's too bad; I would have liked to meet him." No, no, this was good. I'll be able to blend in, become unnoticeable before he comes back to class this Thursday. I had three days while he rested because of the paikaru alcohol effects. I smirked internally. All I had to worry about was a tiny book report due this week; nothing else. How peaceful, for a change. Maybe I could get used to going to elementary again.

"If you want to meet him, you can come with us to the library with him! Since he's probably sick when he comes back, he'll be the only one without his book report done." Ayumi offered, immediately wanting to befriend me. I nodded, not really registering the offer before it clicked. She wanted me to go to the library with them for 'Conan's' book report. And I had just agreed, no backing out now.

_Oh boy_…

**Review Replies:**

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Haha, me too. XD And thank you; I use that word a lot. (Laughs) Yay~! Thank you! (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Yumm~! :3 **

**To: Raifuujin – Haha, she didn't have the heart to assault him, apparently. XDD And, yeah, it does have a type of foreboding quality, huh? (Nods) And Maria Toda! Oh my gosh! Thank you for that wonderful suggestion! (Sprinkles You With Happiness) I hadn't read the manga case, but I have now, and I like the idea. XD (Grins) Ah, the highly amusing ringtone… XDD **

**To: MCRDanime – Here's the update. ^^ **

**-Annnddd, we're finally getting to the plot part. XD;; After thirteen chapters. (Face Palm) XD**

**-Edit: Ah, there was a massive continuity error here. XD;; **


	14. Library Murder Case (Part 1)

**A/N: This is super short, but I think it's alright. Next chapter will be monster-sized (Well, as big as my monster-sized chapters can get). Promise! I had trouble writing this at first, but then I got in the zone. Lol. Enjoy? ^^Oh! Also, there's a little part in the manga/anime that the kids show up at the Mouri detective agency and then immediately head to the library, well, I'm gonna say that they picked him up for school that morning and then it cuts to the scene after school when they're walking to the library.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form.**

Chapter Fourteen

Three days had passed, filled with my persistent tries to get out of going to the library without right-out saying '_I don't want to go because there'll be a creepazoid there!_', but they hadn't prevailed and it was already Thursday. Thursday, the day of the library murder case. Gosh, help me…

School had passed without a breeze, Conan returning to class and merely sparing me a half-hearted glance before he probably casually disregarded me as a normal transfer student. I would probably feel offended by his actions, had he not been wrong. I was most definitely _not_ just another normal transfer. Was it bad that I was smug that Shinichi hadn't figured me out, even though it had only been a few short hours? I snickered to myself. Yup, probably, but I couldn't bring myself to really care. Not with the high of adrenaline I had when he first set his sharp eyes on me and seemed to look through me for a brief moment. Freakin' scary, man. Those blue, blue eyes could kill, if they wanted to.

As class ended and the Detective Boys headed out of the classroom without me, I quietly rejoiced. Maybe Ayumi had been so happy with Conan's return that she forgot about me! But, before I could become filled with elation, Ayumi came darting back in, sticking her head from the doorway. "Are you coming, Koizumi-chan?" Her smile was bright and happy. I almost groaned but mustered up a convincing small smile, hurrying to go to her side and follow her out of the school to where the others were.

We met Conan and the others outside the building, and I swallowed thickly as Shinichi's eyes hidden by the frames of Conan's glasses once again stared at me, though his interest was more than a passing glance this time. Shoot. Stay calm, stay calm, _stay calm_.

"Conan-kun, this is Koizumi Alice! She transferred here this Monday. She's from America!" I blinked at Ayumi in surprise, before offering the shrunken teen a shaky smile. He seemed to notice, eyes narrowing and a tiny frown tugging at the corners of his lips. Shit. "Ah, nice to meet you, Edogawa-kun." I fixed smoothly, smile becoming more firm and staring unwavering at him, though I was doing my best not to just turn tail and run back to Kaito's house, where it was comfortable and safe. Goodness, here I was, meeting the death magnet of this world. Hopefully, Lady Luck likes me enough to spare my life. Since I wasn't in the original storyline, I wasn't quite sure of my future.

Conan was quick to hide his subtle suspiciousness and gave me a smile. "Nice to meet you, too, Koizumi-chan." He replied in kind, using my last name since I used his. After the introductions, we all began heading to the library. There was a comfortable silence, before Ayumi spoke up.

"We were so worried! You were sick and missed three days of school!" She intoned, voice light. I had to hold back a snicker and a huge grin when I realized I recognized that line. It was like being psychic, or something. Knowing things that will be said before it even happens. Empowering, but strange. Very strange. Conan looked disinterested, hands shoved carelessly in his pockets, though he shot me a brief look when I let out a tiny noise of amusement.

"You're so lucky you got to miss school. I guess I'll try to catch a cold, too." Genta's voice rumbled, his hands behind his head and eyes closed in a casual pose. Mitsuhiko turned slightly to look at his bigger friend, a smile on his face as he teased, "Genta-kun, there's no way you can catch a cold." Genta opened his eyes, looking down at Mitsuhiko curiously. "Why not?"

"Like they said, 'stupid people can never catch–'" Mitsuhiko began, looking forward again with a big smile as Genta seemed to realize what he was saying, hand coming out and bumping the back of the freckled boys head. Genta glared but my attention was stolen as Ayumi spoke up once again.

"But, it's great you're back to normal!" She cheered happily. My mind immediately supplied me with a rough sketch of what Shinichi was thinking as he continued to look ahead with that deadpanned, disinterested face. I decided to pull his leg a bit, a smirk crawling on my lips as I said, "Yes, it's great that you're back to normal." He shot me a wide-eyed look for a second, but since I had turned my head to look off to the side, he brushed it off, asking his question.

"So, why do we all have to go to the library?" He finally turned to regard the kids behind him, though his tone said he was bored or brooding. Probably both. Ayumi was the first to answer him. "Because while you were sick, we had a book report due, and you're the only one who didn't turn it in." She explained to him before turning to Genta and Mitsuhiko and I. "So, we thought we'd all help you, right?" The boys and I smiled innocently, humming our affirmatives together, "Hm~!"

I caught sight of Conan turning his head a bit, still regarding us with his eyes as he thought to himself, '_That might be the case with Ayumi-chan, but I bet Genta and Mitsuhiko came just to be with her._' Don't know what he was thinking of me, but all I could think of was, '_you're right, Shinichi. Though, Genta and Mitsuhiko aren't the only ones with hidden agendas…,_' He raised one brow, finally deviating his eyes to look upward, and I remembered the cute line he said in his head. Something about it not being too bad to spend time with them when he could, because he wouldn't be Edogawa Conan for too long. I had to smile at that thought. Oh, how wrong he was…

Ayumi grabbed Conan's hand – breaking my train of thought – and pulled him forward and began to run, the other two and me running along, too, all smiling as we made our way to the library where one creep was waiting for us.

ooOOoo

Beika library was a big building with several floors, painted a shade of off-white that made me scowl internally in distaste. But, once we got inside, I guess it was okay. It had the normal library atmosphere. Quiet, studying, and the smell of new and old books intoxicating. The elevator ride up to the floor we were currently on had me shuffling nervously, casting uncertain glances at the top of it. After travelling to the kid's corner, the three real kids had found a book that caught their attention. They went to a table and began to read it all together, laughing at parts and smiling. The cover had a weird frog on it, wearing worker gloves and a belt. I couldn't tell if it was wearing pants, though, I'm sure it was. I sighed lightly, going to sit at the same table, just on the other side, and put my cheek in my palm as I rested and stared at Conan with undisguised interest. I wondered absently if it was putting him on edge or not.

He was looking at the books in his hand with a completely unimpressed look, looking back and forth between the two, before putting them back onto the messy shelf. Was it bad of me to relish in his pain of having to do a 'kiddy book report'? Though, I couldn't see his problem with it, it would be easy and relatively fast. Then again, he always struck me as the type of person who really hated doing things that 'turned his brain to mush', or something. I dunno. At least, _my_ report had been easy enough, based off of a child's version of Alice in Wonderland. Kaito had been bemused by the fact that I had been doing a report on a book with a girl named Alice who is thrown into a different, more chaotic, world. I thought it was quite fitting, really.

Just for his teasing, I marked him as the Cheshire Cat of this world, if I was Alice. His grin was surely enough for him to keep the title. Not to mention his somewhat similar personality.

My attention was brought back to Conan as he noticed something – the box of foreign books – in a cabinet type thing, coming up, sliding the door open a bit more, and grabbing one to look at it closer. He inspected them with a curious face that was more fit for a kid before he was snapped out of his searching by a hand grabbing one book from him. I tensed, eyes narrowing a bit, as I visibly bristled, the hair on my arms and the back of my neck standing on end as the unawares Conan turned to look up at the person who took it from him.

"Now, now. These books aren't for little children." The man scolded lightly, a gentle smile on his face, eyes closed calmly. My heart exploded into a flurry of beating and my teeth clashed together as I tried to not look at the man any differently than any other normal kid would. It was harder than it seemed, as my lips kept pulling into a defensive curl, teeth glinting behind my lips – and I _would_ bite him if he even _touched_ me; keeping my identity a secret be damned to hell – and my brows kept trying to furrow my eyes into a dark, mistrusting, glare.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Conan apologized, a childish tone entering his voice. I blinked as the faint sound of a patrol car rang before shutting off and I turned to look at the kids as they put the book back to where it belonged before going to the window to look out excitedly. Ayumi had to use a chair to see over the window and I thought it was cute. Ayumi turned to wave back at both me and Conan.

"Conan-kun, Koizumi-chan! Look! Look! Patrol cars!" She called enthusiastically, practically beaming. Conan turned to look at Ayumi, but not before I caught him looking at the head of the library as the man shuffled the books in the box he had taken from the place Conan had found them. He made an interested sound as he went to the window and I came closer, as well, at a slower pace, not really interested at looking at a police car now. Not with that man behind me, out of my line of sight…

"I wonder if something happened…," Mitsuhiko trailed a bit, and I watched as Conan got onto the chair with Ayumi to see. Haha, he really _was_ short. "Maybe some crimes been committed!" Ayumi guessed, and she sounded way too happy and excited for that sentence. I bit back a chuckle. These kids were something else. I heard the box being picked up from the table behind me and looked to see that head of the library holding the box from before. Before he could move, though, a woman in a red-ish suit came up to him.

"Kancho, there are police officers downstairs!" The woman told him, looking somewhat hesitant and unsure of what to do. The man merely looked at her in surprise as he replied, "I see. I'll be right down." And then he walked off, leaving the woman to follow him or go somewhere else. My eyes followed him for a moment before they snapped back to Conan, startled by his sudden outburst. Okay, obviously crime scenes make me more paranoid and nervous than I already am. _Great_…

"I'm gonna go check it out!" He declared, pushing back from the window – the others looked at him in surprise – and hopping off the chair and heading towards the elevator. "H-hey! Wait, Conan!" Genta called as the kids rushed to follow him and, I, not wanting to be alone in the library followed quickly, too. We reached the elevator just as the head of the library walked into it, looking normal as can be. I held back a small whine. How could he be so calm when he knew there was someone's body right above him?! Then again, he _is_ the one who killed the poor dude… So I guess it made more sense than I thought.

"Hold that elevator for a moment!" Conan shouted, still running up to it with the rest of us. We all rushed in and stopped to catch our breath for a moment before a low ding noise rang out. Conan looked up before gaining an annoyed look. "We're over the maximum occupancy." He mumbled, irritated, and I let my eyes travel to the ceiling once more in discomfort before looking back down and smirking. Genta and Mitsuhiko looked to the sign on the wall.

"The maximum is seven people." Mitsuhiko stated, voice a bit breathless from the short run to the elevator. Genta suddenly pointed at the woman holding the door open, startling her a bit as he began to count everyone. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven." He said, not counting me because I had already discreetly exited the elevator, watching in bemusement as Genta held p his hand, pointing at it with the other. "There are exactly seven people!" He gruffed and Conan was quick to burst his bubble.

"You didn't count yourself!" He accused, pointing at Genta. Genta made a sound, eyes widening as Mitsuhiko turned to Ayumi. "Like I said, Genta-kun will never catch a cold!" He informed Ayumi in a cheerful voice, Ayumi smiling happily back. Once again, Genta bopped Mitsuhiko on the head and Conan rushed out of the elevator box, all of us beginning to follow him swiftly to the stairs and starting to go down, "We have no choice. Let's take the stairs!"

Rushing to the stairs, I glanced back to see the head of the library peeking out of the elevator and looking at us curiously before he went back in and the doors closed. My eyes narrowed before I returned to the task at hand. After all, it was best to watch my movements, because, in this world, with my luck, my death would possibly end up something ridiculous like tripping down the stairs. _Yeah_. No, thank you.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Raifuujin – lol, yup. XD Mysterious transfer students always need to end up there. (Nods) XD And I agree. I dunno why they cut that tiny part out, it would have added a lot to her character and give some foreshadowing. Haha, yeah, I couldn't resist. XDDD The power of the creepazoid episode. (Laughs) Thanks for your review! ^^ **

**-Cut this into two chapters because putting it all together would have made it monster-sized, but the next chapter will conclude the whole case, so it will probably be really long. XDD **

**-Edit: There were quite a few mistakes in here, but I fixed them. Hopefully, I got them all. XD **


	15. Library Murder Case (Part 2)

**A/N: Goodness, this chapter is huge. Lol. Enjoy reading? ^^ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Fifteen

"Hey, inspector! Did something happen?" Conan crowed up at the plump man in the brown-ish coat and hat, voice cheerful but somewhat breathless. Can't blame him, we just ran down a lot of freakin' flights of stairs, man. I huffed for breath, small shoulders moving up and down with the effort. Megure-keibu looked down at Conan for a split second before the kancho decided that he should pretend he was worried, or something.

He leaned forward a bit, hands out as his face became a bit concerned. "Did something happen to him?" I had to admit, he was a pretty good actor, if it wasn't for the fact that his face just screamed 'creepy stalker with homicidal tendencies!'. Megure-keibu turned back to the kancho, eyes closed seriously, "Actually, Tamada-san has been missing since the night before last." The inspector opened his eyes to give the object of his informing a hard, serious, glare. Gosh, if looks could kill…

The head gave a shocked gasp. "What? T-That can't be!" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the man. _Bastard_. The inspector seemed to ignore his outburst, though; immediately getting down to business. I absently saw Conan making a face distinctly Shinichi, focusing on the case and the case alone. A killer focus that, if aimed directly at you, could take down a whole organization that would usually not be affected by anything else headed their way. Just like a silver bullet to a werewolf; you try to kill it with normal bullets and nothing happens, but then you use a _silver_ bullet, and it's dead. No wonder Vermouth uses that nickname for him, I thought, bemused, a smirk sneaking onto my lips.

"I heard he was working late with you on the night in question." Megure-keibu stated and I watched in amusement as the kancho reeled back a bit, sweat drop still on his cheek, as he stuttered out his answer. "Uh…Yes." I blinked as I heard the sound of boxes being lifted in the background and turned to look as the police began to search through the boxes. My attention was easily drawn away, though, as the man began talking again.

"However, I went home before Tamada, so I can't be sure what happened after that." Uh _huh_. Conan was second to notice that the police were searching through the boxes. "Hey, why are you inspecting the library's storeroom?" He questioned, pointing in the direction of said room, and I looked back at the other kids to notice them smiling to themselves. Really – an amused smile bloomed on my face – they enjoy this too much.

The inspector looked back at Conan, serious eyes now off for the moment, as Conan continued, "He might have been kidnapped by someone on his way home." The inspector gave an annoyed look at the shrunken teen. "We're doing it just in case." He shifted, seriousness coming back into his gaze. "Tamada-san was very methodical and always called his wife from the library before he went home. But, he didn't do this the night before last. In other words, he was either taken by someone while he was still here or he's still in this library." The inspector explained, and I noticed he used the word '_was_'. He thought the poor man was already dead. Not that he was wrong, but…

He continued, as if reading my thoughts, "And if he's still here, there's a high possibility that he's already been killed." The look on the inspector's face when he said that was enough for me to step back a bit, unnerved by the steely eyes. Damn it, too many people in Detective Conan have killer glares.

I heard the kids gasp from the statement, watching as their faces paled and they looked frightened; seems like they finally realized the gravity of this case. However, when I looked back at Conan, he only looked more serious than ever. An amused sound hummed in my throat, but nobody noticed, all too focused on the case. It figures. He's headstrong; sometimes too headstrong for his own good. Like with Gin and Vodka. That encounter had gone well, I thought sardonically.

An officer walked up to the inspector – was that _Takagi_? – informing him of his latest finds. "Inspector, we've checked all the areas people don't visit. There was no trace of him." The inspector made a thoughtful noise, hand coming up to cup his chin in the classic 'thinking-pose'. "So, it looks like he's not in this library, after all." He immediately bounced back, hand coming down, directing to his men, "Alright, we're done here!" He turned and gave the head a salute. "Please excuse the interruption." The kancho seemed too surprised to say anything else other than another one of his slightly nervous stutters.

"Uh…I-It was nothing." The inspector and the rest of the police officers turned and left, walking away from the murderer; he watched them leave with his wide eyes. I found it ironically hilarious, snickers caught in my throat and apparently getting the attention of the creep himself. He spared me a momentary glance, freezing for a moment in – what? Fear, shock, surprise? – as he noticed my confident smirk, before looking back to the officers leaving.

Conan watched them leave, too, before he put his hand to his chin, much like the inspector just had. Looks like the game was on.

ooOOoo

It was a small locker in the boys' bathroom. A really, _really_ small locker in the boys' bathroom. "I'll hide in here until everyone's gone." Conan stated, pulling open the metal door. He turned to give the rest of us a smile, "You guys can go home." The detective boys didn't seem to hear him – or they didn't want to – as Conan was herded in, Ayumi pulling me along with her, not that I minded, I had been planning on staying anyways, and all of us shoved together into the locker. Conan ended up on the bottom with Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and I standing somewhat comfortably – if not just a bit squeezed together; with that damn broom (mop?) in the back stabbing my back – as Genta was on the top; tipping precariously as he held himself up.

"Oi, you guys –" Conan complained in the almost-darkness, only to be silenced as Genta's grip slipped, making Ayumi fall forward and land on Conan. The impact would have been much rougher, had I not snatched Ayumi's arm to keep her from falling completely.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly, concerned as the girl stood back up completely. My hand let go of the grip on her arm and she shot me a wide smile. "Hm~! Thank you, Koizumi-san." I shook my head with a smile, indicating I didn't mind, before looking down at Conan with a smirk he must have found annoying, if his deadpanned face was anything to go by.

"And you, Edogawa-kun? You are pretty short…," I trailed, mock concern dripping from my tone; though, he was the only one who caught on to it. He huffed, insulted that his height had just been teased. By someone _younger_ than him, no less, probably. I had to keep myself from letting out a KID grin – it rubs off on you once you hang around Kaito for a while; eventually you get your own personalized version – as he replied tersely, "I'm fine." He looked like he wanted to say more on the subject but decided against it as he talked to Genta.

"Oi, be careful, Genta." He scolded lightly, but there was no heat in it, only fond exasperation. Genta shifted, strengthening his grip, and offended said, "I know, Conan!" We all hushed him as we heard the door open. Someone obviously had to use the bathroom. This was going to be a long stay in Locker-Land…

ooOOoo

It was dark when we finally all got out of that wretched locker. Genta peeked out, before declaring the coast was clear. Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko, and I were the first to leave the bathroom, Conan following close behind. I stretched sorely, my muscles pulling in my shoulder as I rolled it. I flinched. Damn broom.

Conan gave us all a deadpanned face – most likely thinking something about us – before Ayumi piped up happily, "What're we gonna do now, Conan-kun?" Conan turned away from her in a cool way. "We're gonna find that body." The kids all looked surprised and I raised a brow at his cool attitude. "Huh? But, the police said they didn't find it." Mitsuhiko said in obvious confusion. Conan turned his head a bit to regard us with one cerulean eye.

"Something smells fishy about this library." I smirked at him and agreed, "Yeah; this place _reeks_ of it." He seemed surprised, eyes widening before they went back to normal. The kids just looked surprised before Genta began sniffing the air, asking, "It smells?" Mitsuhiko gave his friend a deadpanned face, a disbelieving noise escaping his throat.

We all started in horrified surprise as the elevator started, the numbers on the top lighting up with the glowing yellow of the light bulbs. We all stared at the elevator for a moment in horror, watching as the light changed to a different number, the noise of the machinery rumbling faintly.

"Hide!" Conan ordered sharply and we all huddled back into the bathroom; Genta and Mitsuhiko going to hide on one side and Conan, Ayumi, and I hiding on the other side. Ayumi had a death grip on Conan's sleeve. The elevator dinged and Conan peered around the side of the wall to see who it was. Though I couldn't see him from my angle, I could practically sense the head of the library walking out of the elevator, shadows over his face, making him look menacing. Conan shifted forward a bit, pulling free from Ayumi's grasp surprisingly enough, and getting a better view of the psycho that was stalking the building so late at night.

I heard a click and a few moments after, Conan walked out of the hiding spot, heading towards the glass doors that lead to the kid's section of books, all of us following him. He sidled up near the door before peeking in, the rest of us doing the same thing as well. The man was leaning down on his knees, picking up a book similar to the one Shinichi had grabbed earlier. He was grinning evilly to himself, an ugly look that I wanted to wipe off his face.

He let out an amused noise before he began talking, "Tamada was a fool! I wouldn't have had to kill him if he didn't look inside these!" He sounded too smug about killing Tamada. I didn't like it. As everyone else gaped with gasps, a low growl rumbled in my chest, an almost animalistic sound. The man heaved the box of books onto the top of the cabinet thing.

"Police will always be police. They left without finding anything." The look he was giving the box of books was freaky; wide eyes, shadows on his face, and a smile not too sane. "They had no clue that Tamada is 'sleeping' in this library!" He started chuckling quietly before he broke out into full maniacal laughter. The sound made me want to laugh with him, but I held it in for the sake of everyone. Not that it would matter in a few minutes, anyways, but oh well.

I looked over to Conan, his face deathly serious, eyes glittering faintly as he glared at the man, mouth open in a small 'o'. He seemed to be thinking to himself. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed and I had the sneaking suspicion that was when he was probably thinking, '_But where in the world is the body?_' His eyes widened as the creep took out one book and ripped of the shrink-wrap off of the book, still grinning. The head took out the book before placing it on the top of the cabinet. He started to do it once again when Genta's voice shattered the silence and I winced. This was it…

"It's so dark. I can't see anything!" He whined, moving forward, pushing Ayumi forward a bit with his weight. Her hand came out instinctively to stop herself from hitting the glass face first and we all made sounds of shock horror as the door opened a bit, creaking and making the man turn his head towards the door in shock. "Who's there?!" I could hear his yell even as we all hurried to get away.

We all ended up in the bathroom once more and I internally groaned. When in doubt, always go to the bathroom, I guess. The thought was sarcastic, a deadpanned look on my face as the man exited the room he was in and called, "Is someone there?" before beginning to search around the stairs.

Conan was peeking out from the entrance again but stiffened as the man began to head in our direction. All of us shrunk back against the wall, shivering a bit, before we rushed inside and hid in a stall. I could feel it as he peeked his head into the bathroom, making my heart freeze as he stared into the room. His presence was thick, making it suffocating to breath as we all huddled with each other in the near corner of the stall. He walked into the bathroom farther, footsteps echoing.

His hand gripped the knob and then he opened the door harshly and my wide eyes stared as the door ended up only a centimeter away from our faces. Any farther and he would have hit us for sure. "Aha!" He cried before he closed the door slowly, seeing that no one was there. I could only imagine all of our faces; we probably looked hilarious. Scared out of our wits, wide eyed, and trying to be one with the wall. We all were shaking visible, breaking into a cold sweat from the close call. I was the first to relax as I heard the man exit the bathroom, his presence disappearing with him as he went farther away.

It was strange; usually I couldn't sense people at all, but I depended on my ears, since I have pretty good hearing, but this was…different. Even if I hadn't heard him, I would have felt him. The pressure in my gut, seeming to eat it away and rot in my stomach; an unpleasant feeling. A shiver riding up my spine as he got closer and closer, taking my breath, and the world getting colder and colder with each step. I wonder if this was how Haibara felt when the black organization was near? I shook my head, drawing the attention of the others, as I pushed my thoughts to the back of my mind.

"…That was too close for comfort…," My voice was soft, a whisper, but didn't hold the quiver that threatened to come out from that pressure I had felt earlier. Conan relaxed after I broke the silence and nodded. "Yeah…We should stay here for a while, just in case." He intoned, just as softly, as he gave us all a comforting look. Ayumi's grip on my arm softened and I felt Genta and Mitsuhiko relax behind me, sensing it, not seeing or hearing it. Weird… Was I getting hyper sensitive to these things or were my senses just heightened because of the adrenaline rush singing in my veins? Probably the latter of the two.

We waited for a while, the only sound our breathing. I jumped when something buzzed in my pocket. The others looked to me when I shoved my hand into my jeans and produced my black cell phone. I'm so glad I put that on vibrate, I thought with a half-hearted sigh. I opened it, making sure the light didn't face the exit of the bathroom and blinked as I realized I had missed a call. It was Kaito. Shoot. Did I forget to tell him I would be out late with friends today? My mind recapped earlier this morning and I realized, yes, I had forgotten.

I clicked some buttons on the phone, not even bothering to listen to Kaito's message as I went to the texting part of the phone. Truthfully, I sucked at texting. Utterly and horridly sucked at it, but I couldn't exactly call him back up and speak out loud to him. My small fingers fumbled to write the message and I felt accomplished when I finally hit send.

'_Sorry, forgot to tell you I would be with friends until late tonight. Will be home later. Don't worry. Sorry again. – Alice. _' That should work for now, until I got home. Goodness, I hope I don't get grounded…That would _suck_…

I snapped the phone shut quietly before shoving it back into its pocket. My brown-eyed gaze was brought to the kids and Conan and I absently wonder why _they_ weren't contacted by their parents/guardians. Oh well. Maybe they had told their parents they were going somewhere with their friends and the parents and Ran decided that meant they would be out kind of late. Who knows? _Well, they do, obviously_, my mind retorted and I bit back a grin. Very true, brain. "Who was that?" Conan asked curiously, voice low.

I blinked and looked over to him with a sweet smile. "It was just my older brother. He was wondering where I am." I explained and Conan nodded in understanding. It seemed we had waited long enough because Conan opened the door slowly and soundlessly before we all herded out to wander to the wall we had huddled against before. "Hey, Conan, I'm hungry and wanna eat an eel bowl…," Genta complained, still quietly, as he rubbed his stomach with both hands on his green shirt.

Conan shushed him, one hand coming to make the 'keep quiet' gesture with his finger and the other going to cover Genta's mouth as the taller stopped talking in surprise. Once he knew Genta wasn't going to say anything more, he peeked around the edge once more. We all crept forward and started peeking over the edge with him, seeing the kancho entered the elevator and it close. I relaxed immediately afterwards with a relieved sigh. Conan led us all out of the bathroom once more and to the kid's corner again.

He hopped onto the counter of the cabinet easily before standing on the top and beginning to look through the books in the box that the head had been messing with. "Huh? They're empty." Conan commented when he took out one of the books covers. Mitsuhiko spoke up next in answer, "He probably put them in his bag and took them home." Conan turned to him.

"That's not possible." He stated before tipping the box over so we all could see inside and making all the book cases spill out of it. "Look at how many cases there are! All these wouldn't have fit in his bag." He shifted and placed his arm on the top of the box's side before leaning his chin against it. "The ones he couldn't fit into his bag…," He trailed, sharp blue eyes scanning the book shelves. "He hid somewhere in this room." He jumped down athletically from the top, hands shoving in his pockets once more.

"It would appear we need to find those books before we find that body." The kids started in excitement and happiness, hand coming up in fists of determination at their chests. "Alright, guys. This looks like a job for the Detective Boys!" Ayumi cheered before she turned to me, "And our new member, Koizumi Alice!" My face blanked. _Eh_? The kids cheered, they obviously had discussed this at one point since no one was objecting, and Conan looked surprised before mumbling out, "Uh…Yeah." His face suddenly changed to one with a smirk and sharp eyes once more. His left hand gestured to the bookshelf behind him. "Let's start with this bookcase. We'll split into two groups and check out the books on both sides.

"Okay!" We all cheered, a feeling of warmth settling in my chest. Whether it was happiness or comfort in knowing I was accepted, I don't know, but I was really happy all of a sudden. "Genta and Ayumi-chan, you'll be together, and Mitsuhiko, Koizumi-san, and I will be a group." I blinked. Why was I in his group? Hm…

Even though it was uneven, we all nodded our affirmatives and separated. Conan, Mitsuhiko, and I headed directly towards the bookshelf to get down to business while Ayumi and Genta wandered off in the other direction. In the direction of the light switch, my mind supplied me and I had to bit my tongue to keep from telling them not to. After all, I couldn't mess with the course of events. If I did, who knows what might happen, right? At least, this way, I knew that the events would lead up to the man's arrest and end with no one getting killed. If I changed that, something horrible could happen…

Suddenly, the room was filled with bright light and my eyes shut against the harshness, long adjusted to the dark. Conan turned swiftly to see Ayumi standing on a chair, Genta supporting it. "S-Stupid! Don't turn on the light!" He shouted, panicking. Genta shot Conan a glare for yelling at Ayumi while Ayumi defended her actions with a trembling, "But it was dark…," My eyes reopened and I blinked several times consecutively before I turned to watch Conan hurry to the two kids.

"What would happen if he saw it?" He asked, referring to the head of the library as Ayumi hopped off the chair. Genta spoke up, "Don't worry! He's probably long gone." He said as Conan took Ayumi's place on the chair, arm lifting to the light switch. The lights were turned off once more and my eyes were quick to dilate again. The back of my neck pricked as I realized the creep was probably staring up at the window about right now. After turning off the light, Conan went over to the window to check outside.

"If that's true, it would be okay, but…," He trailed, staring out the window and coming up negative for any lurking kanchos. He let out a breath he had been holding and his face deadpanned with relief. Relief for nothing, really, I thought with a hint of an exasperated smile. I was tired. I wanted to just go home and call it a day.

ooOOoo

Mitsuhiko and I placed another stack of books onto the table Conan was sitting one and I groaned internally. This wasn't getting us anywhere, but I couldn't exactly point that out. It'd just make Shinichi suspicious as to why I knew that, though I think he's _already _suspicious of me. Even just a bit. You'd think he would put me together with Ayumi and Genta since I seem pretty smart and he and Mitsuhiko were already in a team together. But, no, I was with him. _Which means he's watching me…_ That thought alone put me on edge even worse than the creepazoid.

Conan was flipping through books with a bored expression. Well, at least I wasn't the only one suffering. "Did you find any strange books?" Mitsuhiko questioned Conan. "Nope, not at all." He droned back and Mitsuhiko turned to look at the bookcase behind him. "It looks like they're not in this bookcase…," He sounded disappointed. "We took out almost all the books." Conan looked over his shoulder, surprised to see the rows and rows of books still on the other side of it. Or so he _thought_ it was the other side.

"Huh? You guys over there haven't taken out a single book!" He said, irritated as he put the book he had been looking through down and went to go check on Genta and Ayumi. "Oi, Genta!" I heard him call and Ayumi replied to him in kind, "Oh, Conan-kun."

"What the heck were _you _guys doing?" Genta grouched from the other side and I stared at the rows of books with a smirk, "We've taken out all the ones on this side!" Mitsuhiko gravitated to the other side, but I stayed where I was and heard Conan make a curious noise. "That's strange! We did, too!" He said and was probably reaching for a book as I saw one get removed. "W-what's with these books? There's no binding!" I came over to their side, watching as Ayumi came closer in interest, voicing her surprise, as Genta got up and took a whole crap load of books off the shelf. "Hey, all the books here are like that!" He informed.

"No binding, huh…?" Conan nodded at what I said, still looking at the book in his hand. "I see!" He started. "It's not that these books were put in their case backwards…they didn't have a binding to begin with!" He guessed accurately. Mitsuhiko looked confused again. "Huh? What does that mean?" He asked, leaning closer to Conan. I cut Conan off before he could talk again.

"It means that the kancho made three rows of books to put those in the middle. By doing that, even if someone took out a book, they wouldn't notice because they would think that it was just the book from the other side, not knowing it was a middle row." I explained and Conan picked up where I left off, shooting me a glance before he continued, "This is the children's corner, too. Since it's only kids who take out the books, all the more reason to put them there. The reason the books were lined up so messily was because when a book is put back, it pushes the middle book and causes the book on the other side to stick out."

"But, why would he do that?" Ayumi piped from her spot. Conan was quick to answer. "The fact that these strange books are made overseas and brought into this country...," He trailed, turning the book on its side and beginning to pry it open. "…means that inside there are handguns…," The book opened with the sound of Velcro opening, and a small package was seen inside. "…or drugs!"

Genta snapped open another book. "This one has some, too!" Ayumi opened another one. "Here, too!" Mitsuhiko opened his own book. He looked from the insides back to Conan. "In other words, he's been smuggling drugs, right?" Conan looked up to him. "Yeah. He hid the drugs here, and he has been selling them little by little. Tamada-san probably found these books on accident and was killed so he couldn't tell anyone else. He was killed by Tsugawa-kancho!" At this exclamation, the kids grew horrified and I fought back a shiver as I felt my arms become covered with goosebumps under my sweater's sleeves. Well, looks like we finally did that, now all Conan and the others had to find was – I swallowed thickly – the _corpse_…

ooOOoo

We had gone to a different part of the building, where some payphones were located. While everyone crowded around the phone, Conan hopping up onto a stool, I glanced around the darkness surrounding us and I swear I saw someone's shadow vanish behind a wall. I bit my lip to keep from making a noise that indicated I saw something and turned back to look at Conan with the others as he began talking.

"Hey, that's strange! It's not connecting." He informed – really, he shouldn't be so surprised, it will happen _a lot_ more in the future – and he put the phone back in its receiver as Mitsuhiko spoke up. "Is it broken?" The once-teen turned to look at him and us. "Yeah. Our only choice is to go to the police ourselves." His tone was calm and collected and it put me at ease slightly, knowing that everything was going to be fine – duh! I knew that already, but I'm paranoid – and that he would make sure that the creep was caught.

"Hey, let's find the body while we're at it!" Genta suggested, excited, and I internally face palmed. _Let's don't, but say we did…._

The two kids seemed to find this idea wonderful. Figures. "Yeah, that's a good idea. We'll get double the credit!" Mitsuhiko agreed. Ayumi lifted her hand cheerfully, "Agreed!" I watched as Conan sighed to himself before an ironic smile came onto his face. It wasn't too hard to guess that he was thinking his catchphrase, "Oi, oi…,"

We all left the payphones, heading off in a different direction as the kid's continued talking, chattering as if they weren't looking for a _dead body_. I walked next to Shinichi, probably having the same expression on my face and same pose, though my hands were in my sweater pockets – which was a bright orange color; courtesy of Kaito who thought the color looked nice on me. I glanced over to him for moment, taking in the details of his face. He was just how I had expected him to be. And now that I can see them in real-life, Kaito and he actually look pretty different, though if you didn't look close enough, you would mistake them super easily.

Kaito's face was more…boyish, I guess, while Shinichi's face was more smooth and composed, not holding the rugged quality Kaito's had, nor the childish light in his eyes – a major difference from the excitable and mischievous, somewhat secretive, air Kaito constantly had around him, while Shinichi had an air of secrets and seriousness, though, he had his moments when it would fade to something more his age. Shinichi's eyes were also a blue so deep it was like drowning when you looked into them, while Kaito's eyes were a mix of a unique lilac and a dark indigo, creating an almost violet shade of blue. The lines of their faces were different, too, but it would be easier to compare if I saw Shinichi in his older form. A small smile adorned my lips and I turned my gaze back forward, beginning to listen to the kids' talking once more.

"If we find that body, we'll get all the credit again!" Genta said, chuckling a bit in happiness. "This is exciting!" Ayumi hummed, just as happy as Genta was. A moment after she said that, I had to stop mid-step as that horrible pressure began eating in my stomach again, but I continued walking with determination, willing myself not to look back. Conan and the others weren't supposed to know about him yet. We continued to walk for a while before Ayumi stopped, kneeling down.

"My shoelace got untied." She told us, beginning to retie it. The others continued walking but I hesitated for a moment. "It's so dark that they're hard to tie." My heart beat wildly and I refrained myself from, once again, wanting to tell her something like…I dunno, '_don't tie your shoe! Run, darn it, run!_'. But, I couldn't. Too bad. There was an ominous silence before Conan peeked his head over the edge, and I walked back over to Ayumi. Conan broke the butterflies creeping in my stomach unpleasantly.

"Ayumi-chan, what do you think you're doing?" He asked, tone sharp and somewhat scolding. Ayumi made a slight sad face, "But, my shoelace…," He completely moved back into the hall she was in and I walked over, removing her hands gently so I could tie her shoe tighter than she had been doing it. "That's because you wear such annoying shoes." He grouched and I rolled my eyes at him as Ayumi replied, finally standing up and thanking me briefly, "That's so mean! These are my favorite shoes!" She pouted before we ran to get to his side.

"Don't worry about him, Yoshida-san." I sent her a warm smile, ignoring Conan's annoyed face. "He just doesn't appreciate the finer things in life." I chuckled as we turned around the corner and headed towards Genta and Mitsuhiko. Sue me, I was babying her. But, she was just so _cute_! And, really, Shinichi shouldn't be blaming her for her shoe untying. It isn't like everyone can have super awesome kick-enhancing sneakers from the professor. Also, I was trying to ignore the feeling burning in my chest and gut. He was there, following us, and I could tell.

ooOOoo

We had stupidly started to search through bookcases, taking out books by the dozen until we were all panting and tired. Though, I was perfectly fine, it's not like books would make me tired. I took karate, so if this made me tired, my sensei would be very unimpressed. Hmm…Speaking of sensei, I wonder if he knows if I went missing… Knowing him, he'd still try to make my sister come to karate group classes, even if it was more to relieve her stress more than anything. Besides, I'm sure they were back in our state by now, searching there instead of Kansas. Who knows? I certainly don't.

"It's not like anyone would _actually _hide a body in a _bookcase_…," Conan said, and by his tone, I could tell he was berating himself internally for even thinking of it. Mitsuhiko looked at Conan. "But the police said they searched the places that people don't go." He said from his spot where he was sitting by Conan. "There's nowhere else to look." Genta's voice grumbled. I looked over to Ayumi as she came up behind the books, lively as ever. My lips twitched, wanting to smirk. Go, girl power.

"Hey, hey, there are some strange bookcases in the back." She told, hand pointing behind her, from where she had come from. The others turned their heads to look at her, "Huh?" We all were lead over to the 'strange bookcases' she had mentioned and when we got there, she pointed at them with a wide smile. "Look! They have weird handles on them!" She exclaimed and Mitsuhiko made a sound as he recognized them. "Oh! Those are movable bookshelves." He informed. Genta looked down at him curiously. "Movable?"

"Yes." Mitsuhiko said, running forward to the cases before climbing onto one of them and making it to the top, where he could reach the handles. He began spinning it as he explained. "When you turn this handle…," He trailed, continuing to spin until he saw fit. "See!" He turned to give us all a grin, the bookcase now moved a bit.

"Wow!" Ayumi cheered and Genta and she ran forward to try, too. Conan's face became serious in a second, but I paid him no mind as I continued to watch the kids playing with the bookshelves. Ayumi was giggling and making the bookshelf go back and forth over and over again. It…looked kind of fun. I shuffled, my hands clenching in my pockets as I tried not to go over and try myself. _Resist, resist_… I willed myself.

"This is so fun~!" Ayumi laughed, still moving back and forth and I felt a grin pull at my face. I definitely have to try that one day; I don't really care if I'm really thirteen, I can have fun, too. Conan looked up as he noticed Genta having trouble moving his. "What's wrong, Genta?" He questioned. Genta continued to try and move the bookcase. "The handle is so heavy that it won't move!" He replied, voice strained as he continued to try to move it. Conan made a taken aback face. Then, he rushed forward.

He took hold of the case, beginning to try and push it so it would move. He turned to look at the rest of us. "Mitsuhiko, Ayumi-chan, Koizumi-san! Help me move it!" I hurried to his side, not wasting anytime and flinching silently as I saw Ayumi jump off the bookcase quite carelessly, but land fine. These kids are going to give me a heart attack one day…

The other two rushed forward, too, voicing their okay. We all began to pull, Conan counting helpfully. "One, two, three…, go!" We all pulled, hands pulling at the case powerfully and I felt my muscles flex under my sweater as I put more power into it. It felt good to use them to full extent after not using them for a week and four days, including today. I paused briefly in my pulling before starting again. Had it really been that long since I've been here in this world? A tiny, helpless, smile adorned my lips. Time keeps slipping away faster, it seems…

My mind focused on the task at hand when the bookshelf began moving, slowly yet surely. We all stopped when it was far enough, letting out tired breaths. Conan was quick to look into the space we had created and his face became shocked; eyes wide and mouth open. "Huh? There's nothing here." He walked further in, looking around. "The books don't seem different from the other ones…," He trailed before turning back and heading out of the tiny space.

"That means the reason it didn't move is…," He started, making it out of the tiny space and staring up at the one on the bookshelf with an annoyed face. "Genta, you're too heavy!" He scolded in irritation and I chuckled as Genta's face flushed. "H-Hey! Watch what you're saying!" He roared at Conan before hopping off the bookcase easily. Ayumi came up to him with a smile.

"Genta-kun, you're too fat! How much do you weigh?" She asked, completely having no shame as she questioned the poor kid. Genta looked over to her, cheeks still red as he answered, "F-Forty kilograms." Mitsuhiko was the next to speak up, smiling all the same. "That's exactly _double_ my weight!" He teased and I nearly shook my head. Poor Genta. My eyes were drawn to Conan as his eyes closed, as if willing himself patience, and then reopened with realization. There we go. He got it.

"I'm fifteen kilograms!" Ayumi announced, "You have to go on a diet!" Genta flinched back, "S-Shut up!" Conan was still having his moment of insight, eyes glittering with thoughts and intelligence. He suddenly snapped out of his inner thoughts, announcing with a stricken face, "I figured out where the body is!" After that was said, the kids somewhat startled, he ran off and we followed him rapidly. "H-hey, Conan! W-Wait a minute!" Genta called as we all began running up the stairs behind the shrunken detective. A chill up my spine had me running faster.

ooOOoo

"Hey, Conan! Where are you?" Genta called loudly, making his words echo in the silence of the library. While running up the stairs, we had lost him somewhere along the way, and despite knowing that he would come back soon, him not being there made me nervous. The darkness seemed to think it was funny playing with my eyes as I swear I saw the man looking at us from somewhere, though I knew he wasn't since that feeling wasn't there in the pit of my stomach; not burning in my chest like hot coals trying to burn me alive. My phone buzzed again in my pocket, but I didn't bother doing anything about it this time.

"Conan-kun, answer me!" Ayumi seemed worried, too. Mitsuhiko and I looked behind us as steps sounded on the stairs and down came a shadow that looked boomingly big before it turned into the familiar, small stature of Shinichi. He immerged from the shadows with a smile, and Ayumi sighed in relief, "Oh, Conan-kun." She quickly reverted back to worried, a pout on her face as her hand fisted in front of her. "Where did you go?"

"The upper machine room for a minute." He informed, still smiling. Now, we all were only separated by the elevator. "Was the body in there?" Genta asked.

"No, I went there so we could manually open the elevator doors." He told us, walking forward and taking his hands out of his pockets. With ease, he began to open them, revealing the darkness beyond it as he said, "The body is probably…," He completely opened the doors before looking down, where the elevator would be. "…down here." I could practically hear the theme music they usually played there sound in the back of my mind, but I pushed it away as I came forward with the kids to look and see.

"Is it really in here?" Genta questioned looking down in the deep depths, only for Conan to answer, "Yeah." Conan went on his tiptoes and clicked the up arrow before turning to us with a serious gaze. "The evidence is the 'over capacity' buzzer that went off when we got on this elevator today." The kids looked up at him with noises of confusion, "But the buzzer obviously went off because there were eight of us on, nine before Koizumi-san got off."

"Stupid! We're only kids." He chided. "All five of us can't be over 100 kilograms. That's the same as one-and-a-half adults. Adding the weight of the four other adults and what they were carrying, if the buzzer were to go off, then there was one adult's weight missing." He paused and we all moved in front of the elevator, watching it come up. Ayumi was once again holding onto Conan's shoulder.

"That's right. There was an adult on this elevator from the beginning." He stated, and the first thing I saw come from the shadowy depths of the elevator line was a hand. "Undetected by everyone, the body is…," The kids gasped in horror as the body appeared and I felt my face pale considerably, a small whine leaving my throat. "…on the roof!" The kids continued their stifled noises, and my heart rate increased, my eyebrows furrowing sadly. The poor guy; he'd done nothing wrong, but was killed, anyways. Conan kept a straight face, as always, as he glared down at the body, Ayumi now hiding behind him slightly and still watching the body rise in terror.

Conan stepped closer, Ayumi not following, and he looked down at the body. I could tell the dead man's face was twisted in fear; eyes wide and unseeing, mouth frozen in an immortal yell. "Looking at the body, after he was strangled, he was probably pushed and landed on the elevator roof." Conan figured while the kids and I took a small step back as the body continued to rise and rise; letting us see more of the corpse. Conan turned to us, and I watched with wide eyes, freezing, as the very top of a head came into view as Conan stated, "This was all done by Tsugawa-kancho."

"Alright, let's all get the police!" He ordered and the kid's finally noticed the head, faces turning even more horrified, mouths gaping open and eyes wide with complete fear. That feeling was back again in my chest and my stomach; though, much, much, stronger than before and something burned on my hip. I absently wondered what was burning it, but it wasn't the time to worry about that right now. Conan made a curious face. "Huh? What's wrong?" Completely oblivious to what's behind you, seriously, I grumbled internally before all sane thoughts escaped my mind as the man kept coming up.

God, he looks fuckin' scary. Much more scarier in real life than in the anime, not to mention he looked monstrously tall standing there, the light bouncing off his face and creating menacing shadows. All four of us pointed behind him.

"Ah…Ah…," Genta stutter, unable to say a thing. "Tsu…Tsu…," Ayumi couldn't get the name out. "Kan…Kan…," Mitsuhiko couldn't get the title out of his mouth, either. My mouth stayed shut, though my face probably looked ashen white, my eyes focused on the man behind the protagonist of this series. Conan blinked, asking, "Atsukan?" before turning around to look at the elevator. Not long after, his face became filled with horror, too, a short gasp escaping his open mouth.

He looked up at the man with the rest of us, as kancho stared down at us with unforgiving eyes, a deep frown on his wrinkled face. Soon enough, the elevator stopped moving and we all stood there, frozen, before the head put a smile on his face, eyes closing pleasantly. The creep was still going to pretend to not be murderous, and it just made him ten times more creepier. That smile put me on edge, the burning on my hip becoming almost unbearable as the feeling exploded through my whole body, making it shiver with the anticipation of running full speed away. I broke into a cold sweat.

"What are you little children doing here so late?" His tone was sweet – almost mocking. He came forward out of the elevator, extending his hand as we all backed away one step as he moved forward one step. "Alright, come here. Let's all go home together." _Ha, fat chance, creepazoid_! He moved a bit closer, one arm still behind his back. "Come on." We all looked to Conan as he began to whisper to us.

"Everyone do exactly as I say!" His tone was dead serious and I watched Ayumi's grip on him loosen a bit, everyone giving him their full attention. My mind was working full speed, different scenarios and escape routes flying all about, getting approved and disapproved with lightning speed, but I focused on Conan's plan. After all, we were supposed to escape because of him, and I couldn't change that plot line. Still, my mind ran out of survival instinct. He turned and began whispering to us, though I was still watching the man, my heart seizing as he came a bit closer.

"What are you all talking about? We're all going home together." He said loudly, but I and everyone else still heard Shinichi's plan with perfect clarity. We all calmed somewhat when we got wind of the plan. This guy was a sicko; he'd even kill little kids! Aren't people supposed to be more _compassionate_ than that?! Did he have no heart?! My mind supplied me with an unpleasant answer, '_why wouldn't he kill you guys? If someone were to get in your way, if you were like him, you'd definitely kill them; kids or not. Don't deny it, you know it's true._' Ugh, stupid brain…

Conan turned to him sharply when he was done telling us his plan, a smirk on his lips and eyes set into a laser glare. He let out an amused, smug sound. "Don't underestimate us kids, kancho-san!" Shinichi's tone was enough to have the head of the library flinch back, asking, "What?"

Conan walked forward, shooting us a meaningful glance before turning his gaze to the opposite direction of the stairs, walking confidently with his hands in his pocket as the head and we watched him go. "The game is over!" He told the creep, pausing in his stride. A drop of sweat trickled down my face as the man took a step towards Conan, hand out like he wanted to grab him. The kids and I began to subtly make our way to the elevator, sidling closer carefully. "The trick with the bookcase and the hidden drugs," Conan's face turned somewhat to pierce the man with his blue eyed gaze. "You killed Tamada-san because he saw them!" He accused, voice harsh, and the kancho's face turned up as he stared at Conan, startled by the cold, brittle tone in what appeared to be a child's voice.

"Who…Who are you?!" The head's upper half of his body suddenly surged forward as he yelled the last part. Conan turned, immediately getting in a somewhat defensive stand, face hard, before he stood normally – if not stiffly. "I'm Edogawa Conan, a detective!" It was said fiercely. A smile twitched at my lips as he said that, despite the life-threatening situation; I'd just heard his catchphrase in real life. How cool was that? The kids and I stepped closer to the elevator some more, finally making it inside, seeing as the head was completely focused on Conan. The burning on my hip lessened a bit, though it still was there and the feeling wasn't as strong as before, not filling my whole body anymore.

"D-Detective?" Tsugawa stuttered out, shocked, as Genta pressed a button for a different floor. The man was quick to notice the noise of the elevator, though, and turned to look at us as the elevator lowered. The feeling and burn came back full force, making me wince as I had the feeling it was actually burning my skin. I watched as Conan let out an almost battle cry, running forward to the man. Kancho focused on Conan once more, raising the weapon he had been hiding and getting ready to strike. "You're not getting away!" He yelled before swinging at Conan. That's all I saw before I was too short to see anything more, but I knew he had slid under it and into the elevator, only to be caught in Genta's arms. Like a princess.

My heart rate slowed and I gave a sigh of relief as the burn cooled over, disappearing all together with the feeling as we weren't in immediate danger anymore. "And he slides into home safe!" Mitsuhiko dramatisized, crouching slightly and letting his arms do a baseball gesture. "We did it!" Ayumi cheered, jumping up and down with one arm rising in victory. I felt myself relax completely in the face of such childish acts and I let out a grin, chuckling a bit hysterically. Even though this was scary as hell, it was such an adrenaline rush!

Conan was finally let down from Genta's arms, smiling at all of us as we cheered and laughed in victory before he got back down to business. Surprisingly enough, the elevator didn't take long to ding and we got off of it, and I noted that we had only went down one floor. Oh, so _that's_ why they weren't at the place the kancho thought they would be. As we exited after opening the doors, Genta clicked the button for a floor two below us. He'd probably been told by Conan to do that, judging by the thumbs up he sent the shrunken Heisei Holmes' way and the grin he got in return.

We were quick to decide on a room, the room with the glass doors that we had been in the before. The one with the moving shelves and everything. Conan turned to us, "We should make a trap." He gave a smirk and we all listened closely to his plan before we got started on our barricade/trap. I went to pile chairs and tables in front of the door, as much as I could since there weren't many of them, before I went to help the others move the shelves in a way that I loved to do. Dominos were always fun, after all.

ooOOoo

It was only a short while after we had finished setting up did we begin to hear his shouts on our floor, making the uncomfortable feeling come back, but, by now, I was used to it. The burning wasn't there, so that was good.

"Hey! Where are you, little kids?" He called, voice echoing. I almost snorted. As if we were going to answer to him. "I'm sorry about before! I won't hurt you, so come on out!" _Surrrreeee_….

I heard the squeak of the door opening, making me and the kids nervous. His footsteps rang in the silence as he moved forward and into the room, easily sidestepping everything that he thought was a 'barricade'. He fell for it. I saw Conan smirk a distinctly Shinichi smirk. He got closer and closer before he finally stopped, probably looking at the books under the bookcase. "Now!" Conan ordered swiftly and we all knocked into the bookcase, making it fall over with a loud thud. All the books tumbling out as it hit the next bookcase.

We all looked over to him, switching our position quickly into a sitting, almost apologetic pose as we all rubbed the back of our heads, chuckling nervously, before we got off when the bookcase came down some more as it fell deeper. We went to go up against the wall, turning quickly to face our adversary. Both Conan and I stood in the front, one arm shooting out – though Conan was using his right and I was using my left – to protect Ayumi as Genta and Mitsuhiko stood in the back. Both of us, the APTX 4869 survivors, were on the defensive, faces glaring and the other hand in a fist.

The kancho turned to us after watching another bookcase tumble and chuckled evilly. "That's the best you little kids can do, isn't it?" He said condescendingly, but it wasn't like Akako's type at all. Sure, Akako was annoying with her condescending-ness and was creepy in her own right, but the way this man said that made me want to sink my teeth into the nearest part of his body I could reach. But, I held myself back, watching as he stepped forward slowly.

"Don't worry. None of you will be lonely." He cooed sickingly sweet, and I felt a growl growing in my throat again as he came closer. _**Protect what's yours**_, a voice trailed into my mind, the voice possessive, and filled with malice, and _most definitely_ mine, even though I wasn't thinking that. I blinked, stunned. What the hell? I shook my head and focused on the problem at hand, leaning back with the others as the man continued, "That's because I'm gonna do away with all of you at the same time!" He leaned closer, showing us his disgusting smile at close range before leaning back, getting ready to strike…

The bookshelf behind him suddenly thudded, falling forward as the crowbar the creep held above his head hit the shelf. He turned to look, startled, only to yell as the books and case toppled forward, smashing him underneath it. We waited a moment, making sure he was really stuck, before we all relaxed immensely – the feeling leaving my chest and disappearing like it was never there – and we all cheered, "We did it!" We raised one hand each in celebration, elated grins on our faces.

"It worked great!" We all enthused, looking at our bookcase domino trap. A warm feeling settled in my chest as we all rode out our adrenaline for a bit before I took out my cell phone, walking over and placing it in Conan's hands. "Here, to call the police." Conan looked at the phone as if he had forgotten I had one – which he probably did, since he tried to use the broken payphone – before flashing me a smile. "Thanks." I shoved my hands into my sweater's pocket.

"No problem; you're the one I should be thanking. You _did_ save our lives, after all. But I won't." He gave me a curious look, already dialing the number for the cops. "Why not?" He questioned, waiting for my answer before he clicked the talk button.

"Because then there would be no point to it." He blinked, confused by my words before I walked off, leaving him there, and going to chat with Ayumi as he talked with the police.

ooOOoo

The police arrived soon after, getting the bookcase off of Tsugawa-kancho and escorting him to a patrol car in cuffs. They also recovered Tamada's body and all the drugs that the creep had been smuggling. We were all congratulated and praised for our 'braveness and sharp wit' before we all began to head back home after everything was taken care of. We were walking home in the dark when another conversation broke out.

"That was so exciting!" Ayumi piped up. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, even Conan had a small smile on his face as he walked in a casual pose of coolness. "I thought we were goners!" Mitsuhiko added, though his tone was happy, too. Genta was the next to speak up, "Stupid! Justice always wins in the end!" He grinned, tone also happy. A soft smile covered my face. It would be nice if that was always true, but I didn't say anything, just enjoying the kids' chatting.

Ayumi turned to Conan, "Let's do this again, Conan-kun!" He looked surprised, arms dropping from the back of his head as he opened his eyes to look at Ayumi. "Our detective club!" She said, one hand up as she expanded on what she meant.

"When we all get together, we can solve any case!" Mitsuhiko added with a smile. Genta clenched his fists near his chest in determination. "Alright, let's do our best next time, too!" He stated, enthusiastic at the thought of doing something good next time, too. "Okay!" We all chorused, ignoring Conan's somewhat blank face, pumping our fists in the air with glee. Suddenly, Conan smiled, head coming down and glasses reflecting light from who knows where – and woah, if it didn't look _awesome_! – before running up ahead. We all turned to watch him, Ayumi extending a hand as she asked, "C-Conan-kun?"

When he thought he was far enough, he turned to us, arm in the air. "See ya!" He called, false smile on his face, before running off and blending in with the darkness. We all stood there in silence for a moment as we watched him go before Ayumi spoke up, voice worried and sad. "I get the feeling he's going somewhere far away…," Genta agreed with a soft, "Yeah."

I smiled, turning to look at them all. "Don't worry about it. He'll be back." They blinked at my positive tone before I, too, dashed away, bidding my own 'see ya!'. After all, I was probably already in major trouble for being out this late. _Grounding here I come_…

**-Annnnnddd, done. XD lol. This took freakin' long to write and there's probably a lot of grammar errors, but no fear, I'll fix them in due time! Bye-bye and thanks for reading~! **

**-Edit: Lots of grammar issues, but they've been fixed. Huzzah~! 8D **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hello there. Here's another chapter of my **_**Revolver**_** story~! (Wiggles Fingers Theatrically) XD Anyways, this one is kind slow, and it actually switches from Alice's POV for a short while! (OMG! XD) And the plot thickens, a bit. XD Haha, anyways, enjoy? ^^ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (My sister: Or shape! 8D) **

Chapter Sixteen

I hesitated before stepping into the house, face down as I anticipated the scolding I was about to get. My mouth was set into a thin line, my eyes narrowed in determination. There was no way in hell I was going to be grounded, especially since I don't think Conan or the others would be grounded. For me to be grounded, it just wouldn't be fair, really. Least I don't think so; Kaito would probably find it fair since I probably made him worry. The door shut behind me with a final click and I swallowed thickly. No going back now…

I toed off my blue and white converse – again, courtesy of Kaito; don't know what he was thinking since they clashed a lot with the orange sweater, but I couldn't complain, it looked nice – and walked in quietly, socked feet barely making a sound. Once I reached the kitchen, I peered in only to yelp, startled, as I was pulled into a crushing hug. My head pounded loudly as I lost oxygen. The person hugging me finally pulled back and I sucked in a loud, huge, breath of life. I looked up, still panting for air with my mouth open, to see Kaito looking down at me with a worried and anxious face. Oh boy…

"Alice-chan, are you alright?" He asked frantically, searching over my body with his eyes as if expecting to see a bullet wound or something. One of my brows raised and I shot him a disbelieving look. No scolding or anything? That's weird…

I grinned sheepishly and squirmed slightly in his grasp – I do _not_ like to be man-handled, thank you very much. "Uh, I'm alright, Kaito-niichan. Nothing happened, really…," He didn't seem convinced by my quiet tone. "Nothing happened?!" He pouted, leaning in uncomfortably close to my face, looking into my eyes sharply. Ah, here comes the scolding. "Do you know how worried I was when you didn't come home by seven?! Then, I call you and you don't pick up, only to send me a half-hearted text message telling me that you're sorry?!" Well, when you put it _that _way…

I lowered my eyes, not brave enough to look into his anymore. "I'm sorry…," I bit my lip as a silence ensued. Finally, Kaito spoke up, breaking the stillness of the house. "It's okay, but next time, I'd like more than a text." He joked lightly, lightening the mood considerably. That was it? "Either way," He began, lowering me back to the ground. "It's late, and we both have school tomorrow; I think it's time for bed." He smiled down at me and I flashed him a returning grin before we both headed upstairs to get ready for bed. Somehow, I had evaded getting grounded. This time around.

My mind was somewhere else, though, when I was brushing my teeth. That voice…I wonder what _that_ had been. I'd have to go see Akako about that tomorrow after school…

ooOOoo

Conan wobbled considerably, in the place he stood as we all walked home. School had gone by in a breeze, and I was happy that it was a Friday. It was about time to have some peace, especially after that run in with the creep. It seemed as if the kids hadn't even been bothered by it, but I hadn't gotten any sleep. I kept thinking about that voice and whenever I closed my eyes, I saw that poor man's dead body on top of the elevator; face white with death, twisted in fear. My eyes narrowed in worry; I hope this was only a onetime thing. With all the dead bodies I'm bound to see in this world, I would need to get…used…to it. Even though the thought of getting used to _dead bodies_ made a knot curl in my stomach unpleasantly.

I was snapped out of my musings (I refused to think of it as brooding) when Ayumi's voice piped up from my side, making my head turn to the other kids. "What's wrong, Conan-kun?" She asked in worry, brows furrowed in concern. A smile twitched on my lips despite the dark circles under my eyes and the pale complexion of my face due to not getting any sleep.

"Your face looks terrible!" Genta said, looking down at Conan with wide eyes. I had to keep from laughing at that; he _did _look really terrible. During the week, I had noticed Genta said the most amusing things without even trying; a natural at getting people to smile, even in the worst circumstances. He'd done it to me several times today, as well. I wonder if he did it on purpose…

"Did you catch another cold?" Mitsuhiko asked and we all stopped as Conan continued to wobble in place. That alcohol seriously left him on for a rope, I thought bemusedly. "I don't think he did, Tsuburaya-kun." I grinned sharply, watching Conan's dulled eyes look over to me half-heartedly with twinkling eyes. Mitsuhiko looked at me curiously. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think he'd be having a hangover; though, I doubt it, since we're only kids. Right, Edogawa-kun?" I turned to him as I watched him hiding another wide-eyed, suspicious look. Haha, this was too much fun! Messing with Shinichi, I mean.

"Well," I turned from him, licking my dry lips. "I should get going; I have to go meet my sister!" With that, I dashed off, bidding the Detective Boys, and one pint-sized Kudou Shinichi, goodbye. I headed for the bus that Kaito had showed me before and got on, giving the bus driver an innocent smile and look, before taking a seat in the first row, which was empty.

I swung my legs in thought as the bus began to drive, my hand coming up to cup my chin in the classic 'thinking pose'. My brown eyes narrowed dangerously; looks like I'd have no choice but to go to Akako. I'd thought all night and couldn't come to a conclusion for the voice, and she was my only option. Hopefully she'd answer my question this time without charging, as well. Though, perhaps she wouldn't. It all depended on her mood, probably and she was as whimsical as they get.

My teeth clashed together silently as I switched my attention to outside the window, hand coming down to clasp the straps of my backpack instead. I blinked as the bus came to a stop and I got off hurriedly, giving the man a 'thank you' and then heading off in the direction of Akako's house once I passed the Teimuzu River. It was a long trek to the woods in front of her house – I texted Kaito '_I'll be at Akako-neesan's house; call if you need to talk to me – Alice_' with my clumsy fingers – and I hesitated before going inside. This forest was downright creepy, but it was the only way there. It made me wonder if she had to walk through it everytime she went somewhere. It seems like it would be a hassle, but maybe she just magicked herself to school instead. She _was_ a witch, after all – why not use it to her advantage?

I sucked in a deep breath. Here goes nothing. My leg stuck out and I placed it down softly on the loose dirt of the almost-hidden trail. However, instead of getting that feeling of unwelcome, a somewhat warm feeling curled in my chest protectively and as I walked further in, the trees brushed against me gently – quite unlike last times scratchy encounter. It was more like a 'welcome home' than anything else. Still kinda creepy, but a nice change. The walk through the forest was pleasant this time – I tried not to dwell on the stillness it still possessed, though; no animals, no nothing.

Akako's house was still freaky as hell, though, I noted with a deadpanned face once I reached the clearing. Some things would never change, it seems. I was quick to walk up to her door and I didn't flinch much – hah, who was I trying to kid? – when her butler opened the door again. He looked down at me with his inhumanly sharp grin once more before he took a deep breath in what seemed to be surprise. He scooted back a bit politely and I stepped forward – my nose crinkled in distaste; incense again – keeping one eye on him, which seemed to unnerve the demon-butler. Huh…

"Akako-sama is waiting for you in the first living room." He told me, pointing one long-nailed finger down the hall. "Do you remember where it is, Alice-sama?" _Alice-sama_? I bit back an amused snort at the title. I nodded, my bangs falling into my eyes slightly. "Yes, I do. Thank you." With a cautious smile, I continued down the hall and knocked on the door to the living room I had walked through before.

"Come in," Akako's smooth voice answered and I obliged, the door swinging open after I turned the knob. Ugh…the smell is stronger in here. Must be because of the burning sticks on the table, I guessed. Akako was sitting on the large couch regally, legs and arms crossed casually as a superior smirk adorned her lips.

I came closer before hopping up onto the couch with her, making sure to stay far from the couch handles. _Guh_…creepy snakes. Her dark red eyes trailed to me and I had to keep myself from staring again. She giggled, the bell-like sound sending a chill down my spine and effectively keeping me from falling under her spell. "I always wondered why you fell under it the first time, but it makes sense now." I blinked at her. Huh? She was quick to change the subject, though.

"Anyways, you came to me for questions, right?" She didn't even wait for my answer. "So, go on. It's free – they're just questions, after all, and it has everything to do with you. If it was questions about someone else, though, I'd have to charge." She raised a delicate brow in my direction, and I quickly shook my head.

"Uh…no, it's not concerning some else…," I trailed. How the heck would I put this? If said the wrong way, it could earn me a one way trip to the nearest psychiatrist. "A-Ah, well, you see…I kind of sort of got involved in a murder case and…well, during the ending, when the murderer was about to attack us, …erm, a…voice….spoke…," I hesitated for moment before forcing the words off my tongue. "…in my head."

She let out a hair-raising laugh and I scowled at her. She didn't need to make fun of me! She stifled her laughter and the next words that came out of her mouth were not what I was expecting. "I'm sorry, Alice, I forgot to tell you about that." She giggled, hand coming up to brush her hand along my cheek before trailing up, one finger beginning to tap my right temple. Her fingers were cold and slender, making me sleepy for some strange reason.

"Don't worry; you're not crazy." …I'm not…? My mind was getting drowsy, my lids fluttering as they became heavy. "It's common in magical beings to have an instinctive voice that tells them to do some things that they're supposed to do in that type of situation. For witches, it's also common; your voice probably said something like, 'cast a protection spell' or something of the like, am I right?" Her voice was soothing and I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, but I struggled to keep my eyes open.

"Actually, it said… 'protect what's yours'… I think it was referring to the kids that were…with me…," My mouth seemed to not be cooperating with me, as my words came out slow and hazy. The incense in the room seemed to grow stronger and my mind blanked for a moment before it came back. The tapping on my forehead stopped for a moment before starting up again, almost in time with my thoughts.

Akako let out an interested hum. "Try not to let it bother you too much; along with the dead body. People die all the time; it wasn't your fault, no matter how much you feel guilty," before she murmured one sweet saying that killed all my will power. "Sleep, child…," I collapsed onto the couch as if on command, eyes shutting and mind succumbing to the darkness of rest.

ooOOoo

Akako looked down at the small, sleeping, form of Alice before she looked up as her butler entered. "Akako-sama, it seems that her body is already growing accustomed to this dimension." He rumbled, glancing down at the child before looking back up to his master.

"Yes, it would seem so." She mumbled somewhat pensively, brushing a piece of Alice's dark brown locks from her face before standing up, a blanket appearing in her hands from nowhere and placing it on the girl. She turned to her servant. "It might become a problem, and those possessive instincts…it's almost like she's…," Akako trailed, hand coming up to gently grasp her chin in thought.

"Do you think she will transform completely?" Her butler asked, interested in the trans-dimensional not-child. Akako turned to him seriously, "I don't think she will, but she'll definitely gain more characteristics as she continues to live here. For her to change completely, it will take something big and powerful. She's lucky that side of her hadn't been awakened before she arrived here, because the power it took to get here would have surely changed her completely to what she's supposed to be."

Akako walked out of the living room, butler following her, ready to serve at a moment's notice. "Akako-sama, won't her witch blood stop her from changing, though?" The red-haired witch shook her head, long tresses swaying with the movement as she led them both down to one of her 'lairs'.

"No, it won't stop anything; she can't help who she is. Just because she's, technically, a witch doesn't change the fact that she's also not human." She stated correctly, grabbing her black cloak and putting it on easily. They headed down some concrete stairs to a large cavern-type room. She had some questions to ask Lucifer. Especially since the wretched fallen angel hadn't informed her about this turn of events the first time she had learned about her not-sister.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Critics – Ah, thank you. I can't believe I messed that up. (haha, shows how much knowledge I have about Japanese honorifics. XDD) I will have to change that when I get the time; currently, I'm too busy studying for some major tests coming up to go through the last chapter and the chapter before that, scoping for whenever I used that. I, truthfully, shouldn't have even written this chapter, but I'm horrible when it comes to keeping schedules. Lol. And facial expressions – I'll try to work on that, too, but it's kind of hard, since it's (mostly) always in Alice's POV. But, I'll try my best! ^^ Genta and Mitsuhiko will get their chance to interact more with Alice further into the story, since I couldn't find a good place for them to interact yet. But, it'll get there. Promise. Also, yes, Alice is taller than Ayumi and Conan but only by an inch or so. She's still shorter than Mitsuhiko and Genta. She was only bringing this up to tease him about his height – despite her almost similar stature. Thank you for your review. It helped me a lot. ^^ **

**-Next chapter may take some time, unless I am a horrible student, once again (which is very likely to happen)… XD;;; **

**-Edit: Barely anything; I feel proud. XDDD **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Yay, and we're back to Alice's POV, and back to kind of slow and not very exciting chapters! XDD;; And, I couldn't do it. I was planning on focusing on studying for the rest of the week and not writing at all, but I got withdrawal (seriously). I was **_**literally**_** going insane without writing – only for one day! – so I had to write this chapter. But, it's a quick update, so I guess it's A-OK! 8D – shot – (*whispers* short chapter is short… *dies*) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Seventeen

My eyes opened sluggishly, and what met my sight were blurry figures. I was warm, snuggled deeply in what I would guess would be a blanket of some kind. I was lying on a soft surface, though it was strangely sturdy, too. Definitely wasn't the futon I had been sleeping on in Kaito's house. _Huh_…_weird_. I blinked, my vision clearing a bit, but for some reason, my eyes weren't cooperating properly. The smell of incense was intoxicating, making me feel blissfully detached from the world.

Wait, incense? Since when did Kaito have incense? The only person I know that has incense is… Akako! My eyes, that had been closing once again, snapped open and I suddenly saw the whole room with painful clarity. The large stone fireplace and the human skull resting atop it, seeming to grin at me; I let out a startled yelp as I flinched back before turning to look at what I hit and seeing the metal snakes seemingly snickering at me. With another yell, I hopped back once more, only to fall off the couch I had been apparently resting on.

My body protested at the lack of warmth, but my mind vigorously buried the feeling as I looked around frantically. I relaxed slightly when I realized no one else was with me in the room, though the door to the first hall was open, pouring sunlight into the otherwise unlit room. A sigh escaped my lips and I deadpanned at my idiocy, looking over to the metal snakes and the skull resting on the hearth. _I'm an idiot_….

I flinched as Akako's smooth voice suddenly spoke up from behind me. "I see you're awake; come on, breakfast is ready." I turned to look at her, noting that she had on different clothes from yesterday, and followed her out as she turned and began walking to the kitchen. She led us through the first hall once more, all the way to the end where a fork led in three different directions. We went into the middle one and it turned into a confusing place filled with lots of different paths. I stuck close behind Akako, hoping to heaven I didn't get lost.

Finally, after many twists and turns, we had made it to the kitchen, which looked surprisingly normal. It was a westernized kitchen, with a big, spacious table with a light purple table cloth and the smell of pancakes wafting in the air. It _would_ have had a comforting atmosphere, if the one cooking the food wasn't Akako's creepy ass butler. I shrugged it off, though, climbing up a chair and plopping into it with a huff. My small hands rested on the table and I stared at them blankly. I was still tired; that much was obvious since my vision kept shifting and loosing focus for a few seconds and my lids felt like heavy weights just wanting to drop again.

"Did you sleep well?" Akako asked from the other side of the table, where she had decided to sit, looking at me in amusement. I looked up from my mindless pondering, staring at her through my lashes. The red-haired witch looked like she was completely rested. Lucky, I grumbled internally before finally answering her question. "Yeah, I slept well, I guess…," My mind replayed our conversation the day before. My eyes narrowed in a fierce glare and I scowled deeply at her. "Wait! You put me to sleep, didn't you?! I wasn't tired until you began to tap me, you witch!" I obviously couldn't come up with a better insult.

She let out an eerie cackle, looking all too happy at my jibe. "Of course I put you to sleep. You looked like you needed it, either way." She smirked at me and I rolled my eyes; when she puts it _that_ way…

I blinked as a plate with steaming pancakes was placed in front of me and I grinned happily, humming a 'thank you' to the demon-butler before digging in carelessly. Later, I would wonder why the heck I hadn't checked for poison, or something. But, now, I was just glad to get some food in my stomach.

I peered up at Akako curiously, mouth chewing my food, and I asked quite rudely – since I still had food in my mouth, "u'rre not 'unna r'eat?" My chewing made my words come out slightly messed up. She didn't seem fazed by my somewhat disgusting display, though, and shook her head. "No, I ate earlier." I blinked before deciding that it wasn't worth it to ask. Akako would just be Akako, after all.

My attention went back to my food and we fell into a comfortable silence. Akako was the one to break it, only after I had finished my food, though, and I told the butler he was an amazing cook with a Cheshire grin which seemed to make him kind of nervous – again, I put it in the back of my mind for further analyzing later. "Did you know about Kaito's party tonight? I don't think you do, though…, perhaps you do." She raised a brow in questioned and I shook my head, blinking curiously.

"Party? For what?" I asked, leaning closer over the table in interest. "It's a farewell party; our good classmate, and detective, Hakuba Saguru is leaving to England to study criminology." My face lit up. Hakuba Saguru! He hadn't left yet?! That was wonderful~! I smiled giddily, trying not to cheer out loud. He was one of my favorite characters! Though, with his watch of doom, my slight chronophobia would probably act up a bit. But, this was Saguru we were talking about. He was worth it, even if it was only to meet him once. After all, once he left, he'd be gone for a long while until he finally shows up again.

Ah, wait… "Kaito! Oh my gosh! I forgot to call him!" I shouted, making Akako start in surprise. I began to search my pockets, hurriedly taking out the black cell I had put in my pocket. I was just about to call speed dial #2 – Kaito – but Akako stopped me with one of her hair-raising laughs.

"Don't worry, dear." The way she put the endearment made a shiver go down my spine. "I called Kuroba-kun the night before and told him you would be spending the night, since you fell asleep." She chuckled. "He said it was okay and to have you back by noon – we have plenty of time; it's only nine." _Nine_? I had gotten up so early. I could have slept longer. Bloody hell...

I blinked as a hot chocolate was placed in front of me, mini marshmallows floating on the top. Well, I thought with a twinkling sparkle in my eyes, I suppose it wasn't _that_ bad. I began downing the painfully hot liquid without a problem, Akako watching me with another amused look.

ooOOoo

"Here's a change of clothes; we're going out." Akako said with an 'end of the conversation' tone. I nodded, brows furrowing in irritation before I looked down at the clothes. They were big and obviously hers. She wanted me to use the charm she gave me? My eyes flickered to the bell on my wrist and I looked up at her, but she was already gone, leaving me in the bedroom – well, what I _assumed_ was a bedroom. I shrugged and changed back, making sure to take a shower after I had changed back into my bigger body and then getting dressed. She had given me a nice, blood red turtle neck shirt and a red and black plaid skirt, with black leggings. Overall, it was a nice outfit, if not a bit dark in color.

She met me at the front door to her house, offering me some black boots before we got going. I wanted to ask _where_ we were going, but decided against it, since the – kinda – friendly witch looked annoyed with something and deep in thought. We walked through the woods quietly, the boots barely making a sound despite them being kind of heavy and adorned with chains. Goodness, I probably looked kind of strange, since I didn't bother to brush my unruly, short hair, either. I had caught a passing glimpse of myself in one of Akako's tiny mirrors when on our way out, and I noticed with great amusement that my hair was curling, both outward and inward, much like Kaito's hair, but kind of longer and somewhat – but not much – more girlish.

I ran a hand through my hair self-consciously before realizing we had made it out of the forest and were now heading to the small town I had gone to with Chikage when we had gone grocery shopping before her trip. I finally gained the courage to open my mouth, "Erm, Akako, where are we…going?" My voice was quiet and was almost unheard as we got to the road, a few cars passing by.

Akako shot me a short glance with her red eyes before turning away. "We're going to walk around town a bit; maybe buy a few things or something." I had to keep myself from stopping short at the strange information. A normal day out with Akako, shopping and walking around? That's…interesting…

However, I didn't protest as I skipped to catch up with her as she began to cross the street. Might as well have some fun before the party tonight, right?

**Review Replies:**

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Yup, that's why she's been kind of animalistic. XD (Though, I do have that, too, but I decided to play around with the idea a bit. Lol) And yay! Congrats on finished your exams~! 8D And it's alright, E-chan; I understand. ^^ (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you~! X3 **

**To: MagicMilkBone – Well, since I started so early into the series, it may take a short wait until I finally get to Ai, but I'll see if I can somehow speed things up a bit to get to her appearance. ^^ Thanks for your review. =3**

**To: Iriss-sama – Thank you. XD And here's the update, though it doesn't have much information. XDDD Thank you again. ^^ **

**-Haha, you have no idea how amused I was since I threw everyone for a loop about Alice not being human. XDDD And its official; I'm a bad student. –dies of laughter–**

**-Edit: All fixed~!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: This is a filler chapter, but I guess it turned out fine, if not a bit strained; had trouble writing this one. Either way, I hope you enjoy, at least a bit. XDD;; Also, there's no 'proper' way to eat ramen, but there's the Japanese way and the American way. The American way is to just take a load of noodles, shove them in your mouth and chew, but the Japanese way is to slurp up the noodles and stuff. Yeah… XDD Moving on…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Or shape. (Grins) **

Chapter Eighteen

I watched Akako's back curiously for a moment before starting in surprise as she looked back at me with her piercing eyes. A smirk crawled onto her lips, sending an uneasy chill down my back. "Don't worry, this won't be a normal occurrence." She began and I almost brought my hand up to pull down my hat as someone glanced my way, only to realize I wasn't wearing one. Whoops. "We just need to make sure that you fit in well enough with everyone else; it would be bad if people started to notice how different you really are." She explained and I caught more than a few guys staring at her – I swear I could see hearts in their eyes.

"Ah, I see…," I trailed, eyes narrowing in thought. I suppose that made sense consider everything; but, I didn't think I was _that _strange …Right? I mean, so I'm from another world, big deal. It doesn't mean I'm not like the ordinary, everyday, person. I shrugged off the thought, following her as she turned and walked into a video store.

She stopped just after we had entered and I shot her a confused look. "Go find some DVDs you'd want to watch and I'll buy them." She stated, crossing her arms elegantly. She was going to just…buy me stuff…? I hesitated for a moment, fearing her real intentions, before seeing nothing change on her face and making my way slowly to the aisles of movies. My eyes browsed through the move titles, taking in all the pictures and faces – all of who I had never seen before. Whether it was because of being in Japan or another world, I didn't even bother to contemplate.

My face lit up as I spotted a familiar picture, a wide grin spreading. My hands immediately grabbed at the DVD and I stared at it interest before I snickered and took another DVD, and another – essentially getting the whole collection that they had of this certain series. Akako wouldn't mind; after all, this was _all_ I was getting, right? No harm done and she had sealed her own grave when she said 'I'll buy'. With another chuckle, I headed over to the check out, Akako noticing and heading over as well.

Once we both made it there, she cast me what seemed like an incredulous glance – though, it was hard to tell with her; her pokerface was almost as good as Kaito's. "That's all you're getting? _Gomera movies_?" Yup, definitely incredulous. I nodded, a laugh slipping past my tight throat, almost sounding like a strangled choking noise, despite it obviously being laughter from my amused facial features. "Yeah, that's all. If you want, I can go get _more _things…," I shrugged theatrically, sending her a sly look.

She shook her head lightly, exasperated, and paid for the short stack of DVDs with a weird looking credit card and the cashier put them in a plastic bag. Akako took the bag before handing over to me, which I accepted happily. "Thank you, Akako-neesan~!" I chimed, my voice going up a pitch from my normally low drone of a voice.

She smirked at me as we walked out of the store, not noticing the cashier pinning me with a strange look. "You know," She began conversationally as we continued walking through the little town. "People your age usually don't speak so child-like." I blinked before my cheeks flooded with heat at the suddenly realization. My hand came up to my forehead with a berating smack – idiot! You're not currently tiny! How could I forget that…

She let out a wind-chime laugh and I blinked before joining in. It _was_ funny, now that I think about it. Besides, Shinichi had made the mistake before, once or twice, right? I guess that just means we both slip into character a bit too much. Not a bad thing, just…embarrassing…

We spent the rest of the day casually – sometimes stopping to look through stores or to buy things. Akako had bought me a few other things , too; another hat – a fedora this time, resembling one I had bought just recently (for special reasons) – and few non-expensive clothes for when I changed bigger and a couple books. To say I felt bad about her buying everything was an understatement; I felt completely _horrible_. I mean, so far I've had to be dependent on lots of people and it bugged me. I'm an independent person, and this was really making me feel bad. Akako seemed to notice this and stopped offering to buy things, which I was immensely grateful for. When someone offered, it was only polite to take it, and now I didn't have that politeness drilling into my back.

Around lunch, Akako demanded we go to lunch – and really, I was hungry, so I had agreed; her frightening glare when she had dared me to say no had _absolutely_ nothing to do with it. At all. So, we walked around for a bit before Akako spotted a place she wanted to go and grabbed my arm tightly, pulling me over as I scrambled to keep the pace with her.

I didn't even get to see the sign before I was pulled through the sliding, Japanese doors – how cool were those! – (the cook greeted us with a happy, 'welcome!') and led over to the counter, practically being put into a seat by the witch. I regained my balance, boots grappling at the seat's legs before I finally gained a good part to hold. I blinked at the table, turning to see Akako, who had taken a seat in the stool next to me.

"Where are we?" I asked curiously, looking around with bright eyes. Akako smiled at me in bemusement, moving a strand of her hair out of her face and behind her ear. "We're at a ramen shop; I hope you know how to eat it properly." Properly…? There was a proper way how to eat ramen? Did she mean the non-American way of eating it? I barely contained myself from sending her a sheepish smile and put on a show of nodding confidently. "Of course I do." Of course I _don't_.

Akako stared at me for a moment with her all-seeing eyes before she smirked sharply, as if to say, 'whatever'. Why do I feel as if I just dug myself a grave? She turned to the man behind the counter, who was looking at her as if he'd seen a goddess. I felt a sweat drop come down my face as I deadpanned.

"Salt; noodles extra-firm; topping: pork and seasoned egg." The cook grinned. "Coming right up!" He turned to me as I grew more confused. "What about you, young miss?" He questioned politely, and I fidgeted in my seat. "Ermm, I'll just…have what she's having." Whatever that happens to be. He nodded with a grin before turning and beginning to cook. The smells of the shop were nice and you could tell, just by the smell, that the food was bound to be delicious. The atmosphere was warm and comforting; small and cozy.

My feet swung absently and I vaguely took note everytime I heard the chains rattle softly. My blank stare was directed at my wrist as I fiddled with my changing bracelet, the bell jingling just as quietly as the chains. I looked up to Akako as she murmured to herself, "It's interesting." I raised a brow. "What's interesting?" I questioned and her gaze seemed to get more intent as she continued to have a staring match with me. "You have an Osakan dialect when your bigger, but when you're Alice, you speak like any other Tokyoite." I scrunched my face up in befuddlement.

"What? I have an Osakan accent? Right now?" That made no sense – why the heck would I have an accent here when I never had one when I spoke English? Unless you count my Michigander accent that a few people brought up from time to time, but I don't think that would affect my standard Japanese. Would it? I don't think so; it's just not… _logical_. "Yes, you do. Osaka-ben when your current age; it's fascinating. Did you land in Osaka when you first got here?" She questioned intently. "I did, why?" She smirked.

"That must be it, then. Since you landed in Osaka, the gem automatically set your Japanese so that you could fit in with the locals without gaining too much attention. You probably speak Tokyo-ben when Alice because something trigger it to change to standard Japanese." Could it possibly be because of Gin and Vodka? Because they were the only ones around when I began changing, and they spoke standard, I think. "I'm sure you could speak Osaka-ben in Alice's form if you consciously tried, but I think it'd be better if you don't; who could link you and Alice as one and the same, as long as Alice doesn't even show one sign of having the accent." It was more of a statement than a rhetorical question.

I was about to speak up again when two big bowls were placed in front of the both of us respectively, steam coming up from the broth and noodles. Ah, that looks _really good~_! Heavens, I'm eating ramen – actual ramen – in Japan! I can die happy now~…

I glanced over to Akako, both of us bringing our hand together as if in prayer, thanking the cook for the food, before she broke her wooden chopsticks in two and ate some of the toppings delicately. Then, she took some noodles with her chopsticks and slurped them up expertly; noiselessly and gracefully (which was pretty weird to watch). I turned to my own food, breaking my chopsticks clumsily and beginning to eat. I just hope that I can do this right…

ooOOoo

I scowled deeply, glaring over at Akako, who was laughing quite hardly – though she still managed to keep her grace, somehow – at the shirt she lent me. It was practically soaked, the whole front smelling suspiciously like the ramen we had just eaten. Apparently, I wasn't as adept at eating it as I would have liked. And she was enjoying this _way_ too much.

"Shut up…," I grumbled for the umpteenth time, but it didn't seem to quell her laughter. I glared for a moment longer before turning my head away with a dramatic huff. "Meanie…," She laughed a bit longer before subsiding to random giggles. "Well, you said you knew how to eat it properly; I didn't expect you to be so…," – a giggle slipped past and I pouted – "horrible at eating it." She giggled once more.

"Yeah, well, there's only so much I know how to do here; I'm from America." I stated, hand coming up to ruffle my already spiky and messy hair. "Besides, in America, they only sell instant noodles…,"

She smirked at me from behind her hand, which she had brought up to cover her laughter politely. "I know that; I've been to America before." I blinked at her in interest. "You have?" She nodded, hand coming down to be placed in the light sweater she was wearing. "Yes, I went there for a gathering of sorts." I wanted to ask more about this 'gathering of sorts' but I could tell that was all I was probably going to get from her.

"Ah, I see…," We found ourselves in an uncomfortable silence – on my part, anyways; I don't know how she was – and we walked for a while longer before my phone buzzed and broke the silence. I pulled it out of the skirt's pocket and flipped it open, seeing Ayumi's caller ID there. The kids and I had swapped numbers earlier on in the week; becoming fast friends. Hadn't gotten Conan's number yet, though I probably would. Eventually. Maybe. I cursed sharply, swiftly ignoring the call and going to the texting section of my phone, Akako watching me.

'_Sorry, Yoshida-san, I can't take calls right now. What's up? – Alice_' I somehow managed to type it up fast enough, despite me making many mistakes along the way.

I received a text not long after, once Akako and I had found a bench to sit on; every guy that passed seemed to start lingering around, though. How annoying. '_It's okay. I was wondering if you were busy. Genta-kun and Mitsuhiko-kun and I are going to go to the park to play soccer, but since Conan-kun's on a trip to the mountains, we need one more player._' My eyebrow twitched. I was just a replacement? Somehow, the thought put a smile on my face; albeit an ironic one, but still a smile.

'_I'm sorry, but I can't. I'm busy with my sister. I'll see you on Monday; sorry again. – Alice_' With that, I flipped my phone shut with a sigh and bit my lip thoughtfully. Conan's on a trip, huh? It must be the one where that doctor dude was murdered. The Alpine Hut in the Snowy Mountains case. Or whatever it was called. That was fast; I hadn't known they had occurred so close together. I turned to Akako as she raised an eyebrow imploringly – head tilted slightly in curiosity. "Who was it?"

"Nothing…," I mumbled, getting a disbelieving look for the obvious lie. "Don't worry about it; it wasn't important. Just a friend from school." She nodded and we stood up again, only for her to toss me a bemused look. "School, huh? I heard Kuroba-kun had enrolled you into elementary school…What's it like?" She smirked at me and I rolled my eyes.

She was going to tease me all day, wasn't she? A sigh escaped my lips as I began answering her question honestly, much to her amusement. _Might as well make the best of it_…I internally reminded myself for the second time that day.

Review Replies:

To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – You're welcome~! ^^ Yay~! Cookie~! (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie)

To: Iriss-sama – Haha, yeah, I thought the idea would be interesting since she's…far from normal. XDD And she's one of my favorite characters, too, so I rolled with it. (Laughs) And me, too~! X3 Thank you, I'll try! 8D

To: MagicMilkbone – Here's how most of the day turned out. XDD Well, up until after lunch, anyways. Lol. And yup, she'll be going – there's no way she'll miss Hakuba. (Laughs)

-This chapter turned out pretty 'meh'-ish, but meh. (Shrugs and Laughs)

-Edit: All fixed up~!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Oh no; kill me now. I'm playing around with Saguru's character. You know that's asking for trouble, lol. XD (Coughs) Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter filled with stupid puns on names and randomness~! 8D – shot – Also, to understand the jokes, I will put the meanings of the names at the bottom – hence the numbers in parentheses that appear twice. Just for forewarning, the jokes suck. On ice. So, yeah… Moving on the chapter now. XDDD **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Or shape. (Laughs) **

Chapter Nineteen

I chewed on my bottom lip absentmindedly, staring at the ground in thought. It was pretty late by now – sometime around six or seven, if I remember correctly. I blinked out of my thoughts as Akako started talking to me again. "By the way, have you come up with a name?" She asked and I furrowed my brows in confusion, head tilting slightly. "Name?" She sent me a glance that seemed to say all that needed to be said. And it did, as she glanced over my body before coming to meet my eyes again with a deadpan. Right, a name for my big-self, since I made one up for my small-self – Duh, I berated myself.

"I have, actually~!" I brightened on the outside, grin hurting my cheeks because of its size. Hm, what name should I have…oh! – "Midori~!" I chimed happily, watching her reaction.

She raised a brow in my direction. "_Midori_? Why that name? Not that it isn't a nice name, but there are lots of other, more meaningful, names." She stated, referring to my choice as if it was strange beyond believing. Which it really wasn't, if you knew me well enough; when you know me well enough, you tend to learn the signs of when I'm about to do something lame and/or idiotic. But, Akako didn't know me that well yet; would be creepy if she did, since we barely spent time together. Then again, she was like the epitome of creepy….

"But, it has a perfectly sound meaning." I chided lightly, winking at her smoothly. She didn't even blink at the display of cheekiness, though her interest had spiked about my name considerably. "And what would that be?" She smirked. I returned it in full. "Well, you know…," I trailed before breaking off into another grin. "(1)Green means go, after all~!" I let out a purposely obnoxious laugh as she deadpanned again. Okay, so that was a horrible joke, but I didn't really care at the moment.

After my laughter had subsided, I looked over to her with glittering eyes. "What should I do for a last name? It would be suspicious if two Koizumi's – who don't exist, mind you – suddenly appear out of nowhere." She stared at me for a moment before her eyes gained a certain quality that kind of freaked me out; she was laughing at me on the inside, I could tell.

"How about Watanabe(2)?" She offered and I nearly laughed because I realized her joke but managed to contain myself, instead watching her through half-lidded eyes, a sweat drop running down my cheek. I finally couldn't contain it and weary chuckles escaped me. "Are you serious…?" I droned and she let out a hair-raising laugh. "Of course I'm serious, _dear_. I, personally, think it's a good enough name. Though, you can still use Koizumi when you see fit; it doesn't really matter, either way." She crossed her arms and I sighed, shrugging before turning my head forward to see where we were walking. It seemed like we were heading back to her house.

"I guess I can use that; Watanabe Midori." A snicker slipped past my throat. "Or even Koizumi Midori." I nodded in approval at my own choices before a silence descended once again on us; this time comfortable and filled with the good humor we both shared.

ooOOoo

"Just change back and we can go to Kuroba-kun's house. Try to make it quick…_Alice_." I rolled my eyes at my companion's emphasis before shuffling off to the bathroom, hoping I didn't get lost, and changing back. I wiped some sweat off my forehead before changing back into my kiddy clothes, which were back to a brand of Kaito's-weird instead of Akako's-strange – both of which were interesting and neat, despite their…different tones. I chuckled before walking back out to the living room and sending a cheeky wave at the friendly witch – I mentally crossed out the 'kinda' part. Spending the day with her had proven her to be a nice person, even if it was disguised with layers of creepiness. 'Course I already knew she was nice, but that was to Kaito, and she was in love with him – no matter her denial – so I hadn't known if that kindness would be extended to others. Seems as if I worried for nothing.

She grabbed my hand as we finally made it to Kaito's street, immediately falling into the roles of older cousin and younger cousin. I could hear music seeping through the edges of the door as we came to a stop in front of it to knock, and I suddenly grew nervous. There was going to be a decent amount of people inside, no doubt. It's not like I was scared of people, but, I mean, I'm going to be the only midget in the crowd. Who's to say I'm not going to be run over or something?! I broke out into a cold sweat as nerves swept through my insides like a hurricane. My hold tightened on Akako's hand almost imperceptive, though, as I smiled to mask my true inner turmoil.

Kaito opened the door happily, immediately spotting me down beside Akako's leg – no, I was _not _trying to hide behind it. Goodness, who am I trying to kid? My teeth clashed together silently as I grinned up at Kaito. He let us in with a bright, ushering arm, welcoming smile on his face. "Come on in~! Everyone else is here already, actually." He chuckled wholeheartedly and the sound made me feel sick to the stomach. Everyone was here already…_yay_…

I could feel the blood rush out of my face, leaving it pale, but we walked in, anyways. I blinked in surprise. The room was practically empty, save for Aoko, Kaito, a girl I recognized as Keiko, and now Akako and I. Sitting on the corner of the couch somewhat stiffly was one Hakuba Saguru, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but there at the moment, though he was doing a pretty good job at hiding it. Relief flooded me and my shoulders dropped along with my tension.

When they had said _party_…

They apparently only meant them five, six including me. Well, that was much more comforting. Jeez, panicking for nothing, I grumbled internally as I pasted on a childish smile and was guided by Akako to the couch where the others were. Aoko and Keiko seemed to be having an interesting conversation while snacking on chips, that were being held in a bowl, and the center of the party, as I mentioned before, was just being an extra weight on the couch. I bit back a snicker at the display.

As soon as we made it to the couch, Akako released my hand and sat on the couch gracefully while I drew curious stares in return. Kaito came up behind me, crouching down to pat my shoulder comfortingly. "This is Koizumi Alice, Akako's cousin. She's living with me for the moment." He grinned and gave me a light push forward so I could greet Keiko and Saguru. I shuffled forward shyly – gah, _stares_! _I_ _hate stares…_

"Uhh, nice to meet you...," I offered a weak smile and bowed slightly. Keiko smiled brightly, eyes sparkling behind her glasses and introduced herself bubbly, "Nice to meet you, Alice-chan~! I'm Momoi Keiko!" I was taken aback by her high spirits, but found it comforting, fondness filtering through me. I always had a soft spot for the 'extra characters' like Keiko and Sonoko, for some reason. They were just…interesting, I guess. I absently noticed with some amusement that the frames of her glasses were actually pink, instead of the normal black I had thought before.

My attention was ripped from Keiko as a smooth and suave, slightly accented, Japanese voice spoke up. "My name is Hakuba Saguru. Nice to meet you, too, Koizumi-san." Ah, as proper as ever, I see. Even with kids, I felt my lips twitch as they threatened to rise into a large grin. My control slipped a bit and a small grin adorned my face. "If I remember correctly, Kuroba-kun told me you're from America, right?" He questioned and I almost rolled my eyes at the sort of detective quality entering his voice. I guess I couldn't blame him, though. I mean, some random girl shows up and claims to Akako's cousin, but is staying with Kaito instead…

Now that I think about it; that sounds absolutely suspicious. Not to mention _ridiculous_…

However, I answered right away, trying to ignore my heart fluttering at the seriousness of the situation. If he figured out anything incriminating, everything would fall out from beneath me and I'd have to make a run for it. "Hm~! I speak English and everything~!" I waved my arms around dramatically, imitating Ai's childish gestures from that one movie; The Phantom of Baker Street. His eyes seemed to soften at the enthusiastic display, but I could tell that still didn't stop his detective-blood. I scowled in irritation internally before climbing onto the couch and sitting next to Aoko who was smiling at me.

Kaito clapped his hands together, rubbing them together as he seemed to grow manic, grin growing bigger – if that was possible. "Okay, let's get this party started~!" I sweat dropped. That sounded… promising. Saguru seemed to think the same thing as he became stiffer than before, alert and waiting; for what? We would just have to wait and see.

ooOOoo

Surprisingly enough, Kaito actually hadn't done anything worth cursing loudly over. In fact, the party had been quite mellow-ish. We played some board games, talked, ate, played card games – though, we had stopped once we realized Kaito's luck was being the down fall for us all – and the like. There was one game of Twister which had ended up with several awkward situations, but, hey, it was _Twister_. It was _supposed_ to put you in those weird situations. I won, though – being the smallest of them all had come in handy for maneuvering around everyone else; though, I had pouted when I had to put my hand on the color all the way on the other side of the mat. I hadn't been able to reach, which ended in my undoing that one game. Curse this tiny body.

Kaito had won that time; which was actually really impressive since he kept laughing like a maniac due to his and Saguru's position that had been composed of his butt practically shoved in the poor Brit's face. Saguru's expression had been priceless – face scrunched up in disgust, scowling, eyes wide as he tried to look everywhere but in front of himself, and a light blush since Kaito was teasing him with suggestive comments; all of which made it look like the blond just wanted to hide in a hole in mortification. Akako had been the spinner – surprise, surprise – deciding not to do something as ungraceful as Twister, and Keiko had to go home early when she remembered she was supposed to make dinner that night. Over all, it was good and amusing night, filled with laughs and jokes; even Saguru began to enjoy himself, after he had relaxed enough.

At the end of the night, goodbyes had been said – slightly bittersweet – and promises of coming back to visit when he could were exchanged between the group of friends. It felt like a private moment, so I had lingered behind the door as the others had said all these things outside the house in the night's misty coldness.

I blinked as my name was called and I peeked over the edge of the door to see Saguru calling me over with a small, content, smile. I looked to Kaito for permission, and at his nod, I ran out of the house, ignoring the cold easily. Cold weather always felt nice and I enjoyed watching my breath puff in front of me with each breath. Saguru crouched down to me, placing a warm, large hand on my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kaito looking at us curiously, but he turned away politely as Saguru sent him a pointed look.

He turned back to me and before I knew it, I was staring into a stunning pair of honey-golden eyes, shocked. I could have sworn earlier his eyes were a pretty shade of sky blue; what happened? I stared, mesmerized with curiosity and I couldn't seem to tear my gaze away. It was almost like I was asphyxiated on them; stuck in place and heart frozen in mid-beat. He began speaking softly, to keep Kaito from overhearing us, I assume.

"Take care of him, will you? He's an idiot who always pretends everything is alright, even when he's sad." I felt like this was some type of conspiracy secret because of his whispering, but I took the words to heart. It was worrying to hear that from him who was observant, which must mean there was some truth to it; Kaito always did strike me as the type to wear a mask most of the time, but hearing it personally made me bite my lip roughly. I stared back into the Brit's eyes seriously and nodded, "I will."

He smiled softly and moved his hand to pat my head – Oi! – before he blinked, eyes returning to the sky blue from earlier, darkened because of the night sky. Like someone had snapped their fingers, the 'spell' was broken and I sucked in a deep breath as my chest loosened – I hadn't been breathing. Weird. I hadn't even noticed…

He stood up from the crouch and said his farewell to Kaito and I before leaving down the street, disappearing from sight once he turned the corner of the road. Once I caught my breath, the cold air travelling down my throat and almost burning, I turned back to Kaito with a grin and hurried back into the warmth of the house. That had been…a stranger encounter than I had expected…

ooOOoo

Once she was back in her home, Akako turned to her demon-butler with narrowed eyes. If you looked close enough, you could almost see him flinch on the receiving end of that unforgiving, crimson, stare. Either way, he asked what was bothering her, causing her to sigh deeply, brushing away a silky strand of her hair from her eyes.

"I didn't take her to get tagged. I couldn't…," Another sigh. Her butler's eyes widened a bit, his sharp teeth becoming visible as his mouth opened in disbelief. "But, Akako-sama, she needs to be tagged! With how she is now, I mean, for heaven's sake, she's a–" Akako cut him off with powerful clarity in her voice, making him flinch again as her eyes practically blared with magic. "I know that!" She snapped.

"But…," Her voice was suddenly soft. "It doesn't seem right; it'd just be more annoying trouble, for all of us."

The two of them fell into a thoughtful silence.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Iriss-sama – Haha, yup~! Akako = Awesomeness, lol. XD And for the OC thingie, I sent you a PM, so we can chat on there for that. ^^ Thanks for your review. 8D **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – lol, really? XDD I get those looks a lot, too, from my mom and sister, lol. Oh well, the power of the wide grin will triumph~! (Does Funny Super Hero Pose ) XDD Thanks for your review~! (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) ^^**

**To: MagicMilkbone – Haha, yup~! Gomera always spikes my interest in DC, since it's technically the Godzilla (which I love) of the DC world, so I decided to add it in there. Lol. XD And here's Hakuba's party – well, the rough sketch of it. I was kind of at a loss at what you do at parties, since I haven't had one in forever, not even a birthday party… XD;;; Hope it was alright, though. Thanks for your review~! ^^**

**To: Hello – Hi there~! I was reading this and I was like, "really? Shoot, I should have done that way", since I didn't actually do a full detail researching for that part – only partially. Which was a bad idea, now that I think about it… (Sheepish Laugh) I do agree that that way probably is much more graceful, but since I already wrote it, it'll have to stay that way. Thank you for telling me that, though – that way, I can add it later on in the story. ^^ Also, I guess you could say that since Akako was eating it that way and Alice – Midori…;whatever – was copying her, she would be doing the same way, and I, for some strange reason, see Akako eating it the way with the slurping and being all cool and mystical because she keeps it graceful, lol. I dunno.;;; XD And for the "Besides, in America, they only sell instant noodles…," I meant that they only sell instant noodles in the stores. She never said that you couldn't get ramen in America, but she was saying the only way she could get noodles was from the stores like Walmart, Walgreens, ect., ect. I didn't mean that they didn't sell those types of noodles in restaurants. Sorry for the confusion. .;; That's my bad explaining details at work, lol. And Alice isn't the only name that is mention for the main character; somewhere in the chapters (can't remember exactly where at the moment; I'll have to check later) it's mentioned that her name, or nickname(?), is Lui. It's not mentioned often because I'm trying to keep it as anonymous as possible because of that certain effect I'm trying to put into it. XDD;; Erm, yup. (Nods) lol, thanks for your review and sorry for the huge reply. XDD **

**Meanings;**

**- MIDORI meaning "green" (****緑****) - Japanese girl name.**

– **WATANABE meaning "cross boundary" (****渡辺****) – common Japanese last name.**

**-So, by looking at this, you guys should know my jokes are horrid. That is all, lol. XDDD **

**-Edit: Not much here. I'm happy. XD**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Yay! Happy anniversary, guys! 8DDD …You don't know what the anniversary is for? Why, it's for making it to the twentieth chapter together! We've been through a lot – grammar problems, continuity errors, faulty Japanese culture, and other things – but thank you for sticking with me this long. (Bows Deeply) Sa, I hope you enjoy the twentieth chapter of **_**Revolver**_** which introduces a new character who will show up a lot more. The new OC is created by Iriss-sama! Thank you, Iriss-sama-san (lol)! ^^ Also, sorry for the shortness – it was supposed to be longer, but I blanked halfway through and lost my train of plot. Lol, see what I did there? XD **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. I do not own Ryukaze Erise, either; she is owned by the awesome Iriss-sama. **

Chapter Twenty

I shifted in my bed with a content sigh, sunlight warming my cheeks as it filtered through the window brightly. I could hear someone watching TV downstairs, and a small smile adorned my lips before I cracked my eyes open slightly, pupils dilating as they greeting the sun. I winced, squinting, and I looked away and spotted Kaito's bed – it was empty; he must be the one watching TV, then. Now that I think about it, his mom wasn't home, anyways – I would assume, since I wasn't informed of her returning; but who knows, the Kuroba family was always very….unexpected – so I don't know why I had actually had to ponder over who it was. I nearly face palmed, but instead brought my hand up to rub the sleep out of my eyes.

I heaved another sigh before sitting up sluggishly, teddy bear falling to the floor with a jingling clatter. I ignored it in favor of stand up and stretching my arms above my head and then starting down to the living room with small steps. I scratched the back of my neck carelessly, almost breaking skin but dismissing the pain as if it was only a passing annoyance. I reached the living room and looked up to see Kaito sitting on the couch, now looking at me with a bright grin. "Good morning, Alice-chan~!"

"Good morning, Kaito-niichan…," I murmured, yawning at the end of my sentence and running a hand through my unruly hair. He chuckled, leaning back onto the couch cushion as I climbed up to sit next to him, sinking into his side due to the way his weight caved the cushion in. I didn't care at the moment. He was warm…

"Or should I say good afternoon?" He joked, hand moving to pet my head in a soothing gesture as I rest my head on his side, body motionless like a ragdoll. "Afternoon…?" My voice was barely above a whisper as I felt the will to stay awake slip away. My eyes fluttered half shut, but stayed open just enough for anyone paying attention to see the dull edges of my dark chocolate brown eyes. Kaito made a humming noise in affirmative, hand freezing on my head and beginning to play with the short strands instead; trying to put some order to the tangled knots, I guessed.

"Yeah, it's already 11 AM. I didn't wake you 'cause you looked like you could use the sleep." He added as an afterthought and I nodded slightly. "I see… thanks." I could almost feel him smile before he turned back to watch whatever he was watching and my eyes finally shut completely once more, the world drowning out into a blurry, confusing mess.

I later woke up as my pillow shifted and I had to keep from slapping Kaito to keep him still, knowing that would be horribly rude. Very rude, I persuaded myself before opening my eyes with annoyance, awareness assaulting my senses like a wildfire, unlike last time. I retreated from Kaito's side, flashing him an apologetic smile that seemed to amuse him, and moving away a bit to get my own personal bubble. I pouted as I glanced at the time. It, surprisingly, was still eleven. Guess my little nap hadn't been as long as it felt. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but ended up chalking it off as neutral.

"So, any plans for today?" I asked, eyes flickering to the TV screen and seeing a comedy show on.

Kaito shook his head, sinking back into the couch in a theatrical show of laziness. "Nope, I plan on staying here _all~_ day. We may go over to Aoko's for dinner, though." He chuckled a bit and I deadpanned. Even too lazy to cook dinner, it seemed. Can't blame him; I did the same thing, sometimes. My eyes sparked with a sudden idea.

"Hey, would it be alright if I went out with some of my friends?" I questioned, a goofy smile creeping onto my lips. Kaito blinked curiously before he nodded happily. "Sure~! Just make sure you're back before six." I cheered before hightailing it upstairs.

ooOOoo

I left the house, half-heartedly saying a goodbye to Kaito after he had recited the do's and don'ts. 'Don't talk to strangers', 'don't go off with strangers', 'don't accept things from strangers'; basically, don't do anything including strangers. Of course with the one that made me laugh – 'don't take candy from strangers'. Kaito didn't understand why I had burst into a fit of laughter, but he didn't question it. Then I was off, scurrying out of his sight and down to the park, where I went into one of those tiny, portable bathrooms – _ew, ew, __**ew**__; the __**smell**__…_ – and opened my bag, grinning as I pulled out a pair of considerably larger clothes.

I quickly undressed and changed before getting on the clothes – I was really happy Akako had decided to buy some clothes for when I was older; otherwise, I'd be wearing Kaito's clothes right now, which would be kind of baggy and there'd be the chance that he'd notice some clothes of his missing. Yeah. No thanks. I made sure everything was in place before placing a hat on my head, pulling it low, and exiting the nasty smelling tiny bathroom.

I stretched once out, arms above my head as if hailing the sky. It really did feel the best to be myself, without anyone around that knows who I am. Almost refreshing; plus, the feeling of sneaking around made it feel almost…euphoric, in a way. I snorted in amusement, bringing my arms down to stuff my hands in my baggy, teal sweater's pockets casually. I started to walk around, glancing at people here and there in interest. There was a few kids playing with a large, shaggy dog, their parents standing nearby, watching in bemusement as one of the kids was tackled gently and became a licking post.

I was brought out of my peace when I collided with something, stumbling back as I turned my head to see a shorter girl falling. I quickly snagged her wrist on instinct, hauling her up before she could hit the ground. I let go of her wrist after I was positive she wasn't about to lose her balance again, and brought a hand to my neck nervously, "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."

The girl looked up at me with clear blue eyes – a color that resembled a summer sky without any clouds; bright and pretty. She flushed bowing slightly, "I wasn't, either. I'm sorry." She apologized politely and I took in her appearance; long, brown-ish red hair that gleamed in the sun, lightly sun-kissed skin, and the blue eyes that had startled me before. She looked about 15 or 16, but I couldn't be sure. Overall, she was very pretty to look at. I chuckled at my thoughts, making her look up curiously.

"That's alright, it was both our faults; 50-50. No need to apologize." I grinned at her and I saw her taking in my appearance for but a moment before she giggled, offering her hand. "I'm Ryukaze Erise. Nice to meet you." My eyes lit with cheer and I took her hand enthusiastically. "I'm Koizumi Midori. Nice to meet you, too." She blinked in – what? Surprise? – before she smiled. "Are you, perhaps, related to Koizumi Akako?"

She knew Akako? I kept down my shock behind my own type of poker face and laughed, nodding a bit and taking my hand back. "Uh, yeah; we're cousins, actually. Do you know her?" I asked before mentally face palming. _Of course_ she knew Akako if she had asked that. Stupid, stupid, idiot!

The girl, Erise, didn't seem to sense my inner turmoil as she smiled sweetly – I absently noted her pausing the music playing on her music player. "Yeah, we go to the same school. I've never met her personally, but every boy in school talks about her." Haha, typical Akako. Even people who haven't met her know her because of her charm…

"And you're her cousin, huh? That's cool. I've never seen you around before, are you new here?" I blinked at her sudden surge of speech, but my eyes narrowed in amusement. This girl was interesting. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." I chuckled and she looked kind of confused at my choice of words before she bounced back again, making me force down a smile.

"Oh, I see. How do you like it here so far?" She asked, rocking on the balls of her feet energetically and I found myself drawing a bit closer to her, drawn in by her presence. "If you ever need someone to show you around, I'll be happy to~!" She chimed and I let a smirk adorn my lips. "I'll do that." We continued talking for a long while, after we had found a bench to sit on so we weren't standing in the middle of the trail like idiots.

All the while, I couldn't help but think that this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

**Review Replies:**

**To: MagicMilkbone – lol, I'm enjoying this too much, I think. (holding out on you guys, I mean). XD You'll learn soon enough (possibly). *snickers* And I will~! He's one of my favorites, so he'll definitely weasel his way into the storyline. XD Thanks for the review~! **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – lol, I'm glad you thought the jokes were okay. ^^ I was worried I was the only one who was going to find them even relatively funny. XDD;; (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! **

**To: Iriss-sama – Thank you~! (Grins) ((is totally **_**loving**_** holding out on information)) XD I got your PM, too. I read it over and was like, "Oh, this is perfect! I can totally work with this~!" XD And I'll try, thank you~! (Catches luck and puts it in a bottle) ^^ Also, one question, when you put 'Erise Ryukaze', were you writing it the English way or the Japanese way? (Just making sure I didn't fumble in this chapter by accidently putting it backwards…) **

**To: Lia Alcona – (Blinks) XD lol, yup; bad jokes. (Cheers) Here's the update! ^^ Thanks for the review. 8D **

**-Thank you, everyone, for sticking me this long into the story (20 chapters!). I love you all~! (Sprinkles you with happiness)**

**-Edit: Fixed~!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Mostly just recap on the weeks that passed, but it's the beginning of something important again~! 8DD Also, this story is officially drinking age, lol. XD That was all I could think while writing this, sadly enough. Either way, enjoy~! This was due yesterday – (Glares at Notes) – but I was distracted, and forgot. XDD **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form (or shape. XD). I do not own Ryukaze Erise, either. She is owned by Iriss-sama~! **

Chapter Twenty One

Four weeks had passed breezily. Truthfully, it didn't even feel like four weeks. During these four weeks, I had met several other characters. The first one being Nakamori-keibu. When Kaito had said that we might eat with Aoko that Sunday, he really meant it. We had gone over and eaten, but she wasn't the only one there this time – Nakamori Ginzo was there, as well. He was intimidating; tall, gruff, and always smoking a cigarette. Of course, his intimidating-ness had lessened considerably when he had to put out his cigarette due to Aoko's shouting – _"Dad! There's a kid here!". _She obviously didn't know I was already a secondhand smoker, due to my father; my mom used to smoke, too, but had stopped when she became pregnant with my older sister.

Dinner had been interesting – again, Aoko's lively chatting (I'm pretty sure I knew all the names of Kaito's classmates by now, just from our few meetings) – and I found Nakamori-keibu fascinating; especially when he had gone into a full-blown (curse-free; who knew Aoko could glare so evilly?) rant about his long-time nemesis. Kaito had noticed my curiosity in that certain subject and had seemed slightly nervous, though I couldn't tell properly. Darn pokerface. Overall, Nakamori-keibu and I had gotten along pretty well; he almost reminded me of my dad, in a weird way. Though, he was much more focused and my dad was, in no means, a police officer – I'm sure those few times he ended up in jail, only for my mom to bail him out, were sign enough of that.

I had also met Agasa Hiroshi, the absentminded professor. My meeting with him had been pretty amusing, now that I look back on it. At first, it had been an awkward – both of us unsure of what to say, other than 'hello, nice to meet you' – but after he had started randomly talking about some of his inventions, it had gotten less awkward and me and him had gone into an intuitive talk about what would be better to use for what and into different ideas for new inventions. I had unintentionally mentioned a badge that could be like a walky-talky would be interesting and his eyes had lit at the idea; I guess that means I had just contributed to the Detective Boys badge, or at least planted the idea in his mind. My bad. Also, during our talk, Conan had narrowed his eyes at my obviously too-mature speak. No child should be so interested in science and the professor's, admittedly, weird experiments. So, our meeting had gone wonderfully – we became good friends, even shook hands in acknowledgement, when we finished our detailed chat.

The Detective Boys had just stared, dumbfounded, before they circled around me after the professor left to go get some drinks, blabbering about how smart and cool I was. No one had been able to see the edge of a smug smirk on my lips, except for Conan – that had made his suspicions heighten and I internally face palmed about it now, but at that time, it had only made me smugger.

After Agasa and I had met, the Detective Boys and I had ventured there occasionally after school – to play and other things; the casual things of the little group. I really felt like one of them now. It was almost uncanny how easily I slipped into the role of a curious, bright, child. So very, very easily. But, hey, I wasn't going to complain – it just made it ten times easier for me to fit in. Especially after I had made a Gomera reference, the kids were ecstatic to hear that I was also a fan of the movies. Even Conan had begun to be more welcoming, though I could tell that I wasn't fully off his 'suspicious' radar due to the occasional glance. But at least he had labeled me as harmless – that much was easy to tell, since we finally swapped numbers. I'm sure he wouldn't be pleased to see that I had put him under 'chibi detective', though.

And when he had called me to check if we did it properly, I was shocked to hear the 'amusing ringtone' – since it hadn't been on vibrate that one time – that Akako had mentioned before, and I had ended up bursting into laughter. It was an English song that I recognized from my own world. It seems there was a small glitch that let some songs through from my world – it also happened with the television sometimes; Sponge Bob Square Pants hadn't been a show here before, apparently, and it showed occasionally, much to the confusion of some people – and the song she had chosen was perfect. 'Calling all Detectives' by Marie Serneholt. The part she had chosen went _"I got the proof, I follow leads; beyond the cover of your dirty deeds; no need for you to even testify, you do the crime, yeah, you got to do the time; case closed~" _The last part had made me laugh even harder, considering the English name for the series I was currently living in.

Through those four weeks, three cases had passed, too. After the Snowy Mountains case, which happened that weekend during Saguru's party, there had been a week of no cases. I had been surprised; seems like Shinichi and his companions, at least, got some time to relax. But, then the TV station murder case had occurred the week after. I had watched the deductions on the TV, which Kaito found kind of strange – _"Why are you watching that, Alice-chan?"_ – and I think I had unnerved him a bit with my response – _"Because I want to be a detective when I grow up, Kaito-niichan!"_. Of course, that was complete bullshit, but hey. Anything that explains me watching it, right? Plus, being a detective was on my list of 'maybes'; who knows, maybe I'd be one and then my answer would have been true. Ha, that _does_ seem to be happening a lot, after all.

Then, the Coffee Shop murder had occurred – I read that one on the newspaper, though. Kisaki Eri seems to have finally made her appearance, and that was _exciting_! Perhaps I would meet her eventually. Though, she would probably be one of those people to be careful around. Ran's mother was definitely a force of nature to tread lightly around. Which reminds me, I was probably going to meet the karate champion soon-ish, judging by my friendship with little Conan-kun and my joining of the Detective Boys. And I would, most likely, meet Mouri-tantei, too – which would make for an amusing encounter. He had always been one of my favorites, after all. He was amusing, funny, and when he put his mind to it, he could be a decent detective. He just needed the motivation, I guess.

The Water Goblin Legend – or whatever the case was called – murder had occurred, too. I had also spied it on the newspaper, after Kaito had finished his morning reading. Again, I'm sure it unnerved him how I went to the crime reports every single time to check if something important had passed. Oh well, there was only so much of myself I could hide from him; reading the crime news was, apparently, not one of them. Mentioning Kaito, he had also remodeled a guest bedroom a bit and then that room had become mine; he had said that it would be essential for me to have my own room, since I would be staying a while. The room was nice and the walls were a shade of sky blue that comforted me immensely – the white of Kaito's walls had been driving me insane. And the bonus, I got my own bed. No more futon for me~! Now I knew what Shinichi probably felt, since he was _still _– even in the future – sharing a room with Kogoro and was _still_ sleeping on a futon. It's not the most comfortable thing in the world, lemme tell ya.

I had been pleasantly surprised – _"Wow! Thank you~!"_ – when Kaito had told me that it was my room and I had given him a big, gracious hug, which he had returned happily.

Also, Ryukaze Erise had essentially become my best friend – well, _Midori's_, but she was still me. I hadn't seen her since that one day, but since we had exchanged numbers after our talk, we had been texting constantly. We learned a lot about each other from our texts and I figured out she was a person who I could instantly connect with. We both liked music – though, she had a lot more knowledge about music in this world – and she took Taekwondo; we debated about that a lot, comparing moves from her martial arts and my own, Shaolin Chuan Fa. She also did some kendo (sword fighting), which I found completely awesome, much to her amusement at my 'fangirling'. We also talked about various random things and she was enjoyable to talk to. We decided to meet up again sometime soon, to go to a coffee shop nearby and stuff. I had agreed whole-heartedly. After getting so close over texting, we now called each other our given names – Midori-chan, and Erise-chan. Truthfully, I never had a friend back home this close to me and it left me worried a bit.

I was getting attached to this world – and who could blame me, really? It had been 47 ½ days since I arrived here (yes, I was keeping count) – and to the people here. It made me concerned that when I arrived back home, or when I got the chance to finally go back home, I wouldn't take it; that instead I would stay and live here. Worrying. _Very_ worrying.

My eyes slipped open with a twitch as my phone buzzed from the small bedside table and I sat up with a yawn to check it. A text from Erise. A smile adorned my lips as I flipped open my black phone and opened the message. _'Hey, Midori-chan, are you awake yet?'_

I chuckled softly, beginning to slowly write back. _'I am now,'_ I teasingly wrote before continuing. _'Nah, I've been awake for a while, don't worry. Why'd ya ask?' _

I waited a bit for her message, getting up and stretching before hurrying to change into some fresh clothes for the day. I got her next message after I had finished changing and read it before an apologetic expression fell onto my face. _'I was thinking we could go to the coffee shop today. Are you busy?' _

I actually _was _busy today; I was going to hang out with the Detective Boys and Agasa – they had planned it beforehand and I had been forced into their plans, much to my bemusement. I sighed in disappointment before answering, _'I am, I'm sorry. I won't be busy next week, though – would then be good?'_ I carefully left out any information of what I was doing; I couldn't exactly say I was hanging out with four elementary (though one was like me) school students and one old man. That would be awkward to explain.

I could practically sense her disappointment in her next message, _'Oh, I see. But, yeah, next weekend would be good!' _Her words suddenly brightened. _'Can't wait to see you again next week and to eat those scones they have there, lol! XD' _I chuckled before answering a short reply in agreement, flipping my phone shut and heading down stairs to start the day.

I saw Kaito at the dining table, reading the newspaper like every morning. I rolled my eyes slightly at the familiar sight before heading up to him with a grin. "Good morning, Kaito-niichan~!" His eyes darted down to me and he returned the grin, bidding his own good morning before going back to reading the newspaper. I raised a brow in question. Was the news really that interesting to him? Before I shrugged it off and grabbed a piece of toast to munch on as I, too, took a seat at the table. I slid my hand up and grabbed the book I was reading – A Study in Scarlet; Kaito had given me a wide-eyed look when I had bought the book and brought it back home along with the rest of the Sherlock books. There had been a special on them all, and I had bought them on that day out with Akako. I read a page or two before my phone went off, letting out the amusing song, once again.

My collar ID flashed. Agasa-hakase. We'd exchanged numbers, too, since we had gotten along so well. I answered with a cheerful, "Hakase! Nice to hear from you! Should I head over now?" Kaito glanced at me with a smile; he'd been happy to hear I was going out with friends today. Truthfully, I think he wanted to talk to Jii about something KID-related, but couldn't while I was home and couldn't leave me alone long enough for them to have a discussion somewhere else. Agasa's voice trailed through the phone, just as jovially as always.

"Ah, Alice-kun, yeah; Ayumi-kun and Mitsuhiko-kun are already here, and they thought I should call you, since your forgetful at times…," He trailed with an apologetic edge to his voice and I chuckled wryly. They already knew me so well. "Haha, well, that's true. Thanks for the call, Hakase – I'll be over soon~! What are we doing today, anyways?" I questioned curiously.

"We're going to my uncle's house, on a treasure hunt." He answered honestly, lowering his voice on the last part to keep the others from hearing; he trusted me with the information, but he wanted to surprise the kids, it seems. My interest peeked in excitement. "Really? Awesome! See you soon!" I waited for his answer before hanging up, finishing up my toast, and saying goodbye to Kaito before heading out of the house and beginning my journey to the professor's house.

A treasure hunt at his uncle's house, huh? …Why does this sound so _familiar_?

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – (Laughs) I consider all my reviewers awesome, but your also awesome because you like my story enough to actually contribute your own OC. I was pleasantly surprised and seriously flattered. XD And yay~! I'm glad you liked the way they met – it's kind of cliché (bumped into each other, and stuff) but oh well. It's nice. (Shrugs) XD And yosh! I got it right. I was worried for a second, lol. And thank you~! (Stuffs luck into jar) ^^ **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Yay~! (Snatches a KID plushie and hugs it) XD Thank you~! (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) **

**To: MagicMilkbone – Yup, twenty chapters~! 8DD Thank you. XD And as for what Alice truly is, I'm not sure when I'm going to reveal it. (I think I enjoy holding information too much, lol) But, you'll get told eventually~! ^^ **

**-Wow, first chapter without a breaker – the 'ooOOoo' – but I think it turned out pretty nice. XDD **

**Edit: Not too much here. I think the chapter seems shorter because there's no 'ooOOoo's, though. Hm… **


	22. Secret of the Moon, Star, and Sun (1)

**A/N: Gah, not out on time, but it turned out decently sized. Not as big as it was supposed to be, but I owed you guys an update on the fourth. (Glares at Notes) _Mage&Magician_ is late now, too. Guhhh…Oh well. (Sighs) I hope you enjoy this update and I will get out the rest of the case soon! Hopefully not too long and they'll probably be longer updates. Maybe. (Contemplates). Well, one of them will be, anyways. ….Onwards~! Oh, if anyone is confused about the order – I go by when the manga events show up, but I use the anime episodes to make the chapters. (Nods) Also, all chapters are now edited! Except for this one...  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Twenty Two

"Hey, Hakase~!" I greeted brightly as I walked up to the four of them – seems Genta arrived before me. They all turned to me with smiles, clutching a small, rectangular square in each hand. I blinked but brushed it off as I greeted the children as well. "'Morning, guys~!" I drawled.

"Good morning, Koizumi-san!" Ayumi chimed happily, still clutching the rectangle in her hands like it was the greatest thing ever. My curiosity spiked, but I held it in once more while the two boys greeted me.

"Morning, Koizumi."

"Good morning, Koizumi-san."

I flashed them a smile before looking at the rectangles in their hands in undisguised interest. "Ne, what's that?" Ayumi blinked before extending out the rectangle to show it off. I vaguely recognized the character on the cover thingie – it was Kamen Yaiba. There were three buttons and what looked like a dial on it and I leaned a bit closer to get a better look, but was stopped halfway when Agasa's hand suddenly appeared in front of me, holding one out to me. I looked up at him, "For me?"

He nodded cheerfully and I carefully took it, turning it in my hands to see a large speaker on the back. Huh… "What is this, Hakase?" I asked, again, with no little interest. My hands moved the dials a bit before I heard his answer. "It's a Yaiba Voice Changer. You record what you say and you can change your voice to something completely different." He said with a grin that seemed somewhat smug. I let out a noise to acknowledge, what I assumed was, his invention and turned it over in my hands once more.

I stuffed it into my pocket when Conan came running up to us all. A smirk twitched at my lips as we all got into the car – Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, Genta, and I in the back while Conan took shotgun. My fingers brushed the small voice changer. This could come in handy sometime…

As the professor started the car, I still couldn't shake the feeling that this felt awfully familiar.

ooOOoo

"Hey, Hakase, is there really treasure at that place we're going to?" Ayumi asked brightly, a wide smile on her face. Earlier, the professor had told them that they would be looking for treasure and it had prompted excitement and a contemplative silence, save for the kids whispering their plans to each other; something about checking every inch and then what they would buy once they got the treasure. I had sat silently, a bemused smile creeping onto my lips as they continued their 'private' conversation. When asked what I would want, I had a moment of awkward stuttering.

"_Er, uh…well, I guess…I'm not sure… A…um…book, maybe…?" _

To say I got strange looks in return was an understatement. Agasa's eyes looked back at us four as he glanced into the rearview mirror. "Yeah, of course!" He turned slightly to look at us better and I felt Mitsuhiko shift beside me to lean forward in interest, like the two others were. Following their example, I leaned forward, too. After all, I would like to get to the bottom of this familiar feeling. It was beginning to make me uneasy. Was I forgetting something, perhaps?

"But, you'll have to use your own heads to try and find it." He stated merrily. That sounds fun! "Yay!" The kids and I cheered, excited for the challenge of finding the treasure. I mean, it was _treasure_ and trying to find it would be _awesome_! I never had had adventures like this in my world; maybe it was because I didn't actually have many friends back home? I had a few, but we rarely saw each other anymore. Being states away can do that to you. "Only us, the Detective Boys, will be looking for it!" Mitsuhiko input, turning to look at Ayumi. "Then the treasure will belong to us!" Genta grinned, one hand clenched into an excited fist, and I could feel my excitement rise as I added my own, "Yeah! We'll be rich!"

Ayumi opened her mouth, beginning to talk but my attention was stolen as Conan began to talk. He seemed unimpressed, if his tone was anything to go by. "Hey, Hakase," He began, making the professor look down at his small stature. "Eh? What?" The good, absentminded inventor questioned, glancing back at the road for a second as Conan continued. "The treasure that you're talking about… don't tell me it's those bunch of toys you made me buy…," Yup, definitely unimpressed – it wasn't too hard to imagine the deadpanned face he was probably sporting. I felt my breath rush out of me in an almost-sigh. Aww, he just ruined the surprise! Maybe I should stop eavesdropping on his conversations, I thought as my lips twitched, wanting desperately to pout at the revelation.

Agasa reacted quickly, taking one hand off the steering wheel to put a finger before his lips. "Shh! Don't let them hear that!" Too late for that, I internally grumbled to myself, eyebrow twitching in irritation. Though, I suppose it was okay, as long as the _real _kids didn't hear. My eyes stared at the kids beside me, still talking excitedly, and I let out another sigh before turning to the window and watching the scenery pass by at high speed, blurring.

"You're always like that." Conan chided lightly and I tried to tune out their conversation to no avail. "No wonder you have no girlfriend."…_What_? I bit back a laugh that wanted to desperately escape at that comment, making my frame shudder as I laughed silently. I heard the professor laugh, too – seems like instead of being offended, he was just as amused as I was.

"But, lately you've been acting so generous. Since you've also recently bought this new car." Hm? This car was new? Really? "Maybe, you robbed a bank to get all this stuff?" Conan joked and I could tell the professor was shocked by his tone. "Don't be stupid! How could I have possibly done that?!" Suddenly, the professor's attitude took a 360 and I blinked in surprise. "It's actually because of this."

"Kamen Yaiba?" I heard him ask and I finally turned from the boring scenery to look forwards to the two talking. The kids were now listening to them talk, too, and I vaguely saw Genta whispering into his voice changer. My eyes went back to Agasa when he looked down at Conan, beginning to explain his recent source of money. "Some friend's office wanted me to help them. To help them start off their new business, in exchange for some cash." An obnoxious laugh had me covering a snicker with my hand.

"And what might this be?" Poor Hakase – Shinichi _still _sounded unimpressed. I saw Genta put up his voice changer, pressing a button. "A Yaiba Voice Changer!" It roared out in a deep, not-Genta, voice. Conan turned to see us all leaning forward, looking at his shocked face. I let out a chuckle at the expression. "Surprised, huh?" Ayumi grinned.

They all presented him with their voice changers and I dug mine from my pocket to also show it off. "The professor gave us all one of those this morning. The Yaiba Voice Changer." Genta informed the shrunken teen. Conan looked away to his own voice changer, interest in his eyes. "Voice changer?"

"You can record your own voice then change it into a completely different voice. It's a new Kamen Yaiba product." Mitsuhiko explained. Conan deadpanned, pulling on his bowtie. I rolled my eyes at his obviousness. He was readable like an open book, seriously. "I think that it'll get _a lot_ of sales. Not many people have voice changers, after all. It could come in _handy_." I smirked at Conan as he looked over to me in surprise, only for him to backup a bit with suspicion. _It could come in handy, indeed._

The professor gave me an appreciative look before he turned to Conan, grinning smugly down at the boy. "What's wrong? You never did admire my inventions." His grin grew a bit bigger, if possible. "That product is now available world-wide!"

A jovial, self-satisfied, laugh erupted through the car once more.

ooOOoo

We arrived at the house as the car came to a stop and we all herded out of the car. I glanced back at the car – the familiar yellow beetle that would make several more appearances – before looking back at the huge house that was looming over us. I personally thought it looked somewhat creepy, but maybe it was because it was freakin' _huge_.

"Wow! What a big house!" Ayumi said in awe and I found myself nodding in agreement. Mitsuhiko looked kind of skeptical as he assessed the house. "Is this place _really_ the professor's uncle's house?"

Agasa turned to us all, smile on his face. "Yes, it is. My uncle's name was Agasa Kurisuke. He was known around here for being a very rich man." No kidding, considering this house. The professor crouched a bit and held up his hand as he continued, "Fifty years ago, he hid a bunch of treasure, but not long after that, he passed away." I heard the others make sounds of interest, the loudest being Genta, but I stared at the professor with wide eyes as he continued.

_This sounds too familiar…_

"That's why I brought you guys here, so that the Detective Boys can help me find the treasure." One finger was held up close to his face in a matter-of-fact way and I continued to stare, even if I was listening to the conversation behind me. "To the looks of it then, there is treasure here!" Genta started and Mitsuhiko continued, "Yeah. It doesn't seem that Hakase came here earlier and hid the treasure, after all." A smirk curled onto my lips, though I was still staring at the house. "Didn't I say? Hakase's not the type to trick kids like that." Ayumi chided them lightly, sounding happy all the same.

"Right, Hakase?" Ayumi prompted. The professor backed up a bit, looking nervous – of course he did – and then stated, quite awkwardly, mind you, "Uh…Of course." Conan gave an ironic little laugh as the professor let out his own nervous chuckle.

Conan seemed to notice my stare on the house, turning to me curiously. "Hey, what's wrong?" I blinked out of my daze and gave him an uneasy smile, laughing a bit as my hand came up to scratch my cheek. "Nothing, it's just…," I searched for an explanation before just going with the easiest choice.

_It's almost like…_

"Just déjà vu."

He raised a brow, but didn't question it as we all headed to the door of the house, where Agasa pulled out a key and unlocked the door. The kids and him were the first in and Conan and I walked in last, him closing the door behind us. I bit down the urge to turn to look at him – I could feel his gaze on me and it was making me _uncomfortable_, darn it – as we followed the other into another room. Genta was the first to enter, opening the door with an almost-battle cry, "Let's start searching in this room!" The three ran into the room, Ayumi and Mitsuhiko replying to Genta, "Yeah~!"

Shinichi and I both stopped walking once we entered the room, eyes centering in on the clock. The clock that had both pointers towards the floor, like an arrow. _Like…an…arrow_… A sudden flash of remembrance hit me. No, didn't hit me. It _smacked_ me in the face because it was being so freakin' _obvious_! The Yaiba Voice Changer, the treasure in his uncle's house, the whole thing! It was– it was– it was–

"The 'Professor Sunshine' one!" I whisper-shouted to myself, ignoring Conan's questioning glance before he walked further into the house, deciding not to bother with it. I didn't bother with him, either, smacking my forehead much like the revelation had earlier. How could I have been so…so, stupid?! It was right there in my face, waving hello, and I didn't even notice until now!

Boy, did I feel like a chump.

My mind scrambled for details of this certain case, but I couldn't remember much except that there was a secret room, and there was a _robber_… That was it. I swallowed thickly as I began searching with them, trying to quell my fast thoughts that were currently tumbling through my brain. Several things didn't sit well with me about this case.

But, I had a feeling that the only thing that would be worse was when this case ended. Why? I didn't know myself.

"Here? Here?" Genta questioned himself as he opened two different cabinets. I headed for one cabinet near the door, opening it to see a couple plates and a mechanical doll. I hurried to close the cabinet; that doll was important for the case later, if I remember correctly. I turned and walked back to the professor's side, deciding to not do anything for the time being. "There doesn't seem to be anything in here…," Mitsuhiko trailed, shuffling through his own cabinet. "There's nothing in here, either." Ayumi announced, standing up with a disappointed face.

"Say, Hakase," Conan began and I looked over to him as I followed Agasa over to his side. "Is your uncle the man in that picture?" He asked, and my gaze was redirected to the picture on the wall. "Huh? Yeah, that's him." The professor answered and I stared in awe at the picture. It was beautifully painted, strokes light and colors vibrant, giving it its own type of life. The woman behind Agasa's uncle was very pretty and was drawn with a kind face – well, it does say that you draw what your heart feels. The painter must have been fond of the woman, I noted as Conan began to talk again and I swiveled on my heel to pay attention.

"I see. Your uncle sure seemed rich…," Agasa's face became confused. "Eh?" Conan smiled. "Just look at that fireplace behind him, it's exactly the same as the one over there. So, in other words, he hired someone to come over to paint that painting." The not-child stepped forward a bit. "He had enough to get that done, so he had to be a rich guy." Ah, that made sense, I guess. Usually, you're the one who goes over to the painter. I regarded the painting once more, smirk on my lips; must have been nice to have that much money.

"Yeah, I heard that the year before my uncle had died, he hired someone to paint that picture."

"The lady behind him is?" Conan and I asked in unison, only to send each other weirded out looks before brushing it off to listen to the professor's answer. "She is my uncle's sister, who took care of him. She was my uncle's most trusted person. I think that she was teaching in an elementary school. After my uncle died, she left this place and went back home. So no one has come to this house in the past fifty years." He explained, looking around. I let out a huff of breath in fond amusement. Reminds me of my sister, in a way.

"But there are lots of things here; all the silverware and books…," Conan trailed, looking over to Ayumi who was now standing on a stack of books to open a plate holder thingie. I made a face as dust was kicked up, resembling a sand storm, before it dissipated. Ugh…Am I glad I'm not allergic to dust; this place would _kill_ the person with dust allergies.

"Since uncle's belongings were here within the past fifty years later after he died, no one touched any of it." Agasa turned as he explained, "So that's why all his belongings are still left here. But they decided to tear down this place next month." Conan stopped with his looking around, giving a smirk as he deadpanned, "I see. So, that's why you wanted to come to this dust-filled house with the kids, before they tear it down, you wanted them to play your treasure hunt."

"Exactly!" Agasa smiled down at Shinichi before they both froze, noticing me for the first time after Conan and I's weird in sync talk, turning to meet my gaze slowly. Their expressions reminded me oddly of a deer in the headlights. A smirk twitched onto my face and I raised a brow as I crossed my arms, "Don't worry, I already know. I heard you guys talking in the car earlier. Edogawa-kun ruined the surprise. He's not very good at keeping secrets; that much I can tell already." I snickered slightly, as both expressions grew annoyed. One directed at Conan and the other directed at me. I'm sure you can guess who was who.

I blinked out of my growing amusement as I heard glasses clinking and I looked to the side, Agasa and Conan doing the same, to see Genta pushing bottles aside. He seemed to be mumbling things to himself, probably something about the treasure.

"Hey, make sure you don't make a mess of the things here." The professor called, making Genta pout as he began, "But –"

The professor looked upwards, hands behind his back. "Be careful, and just keep searching and you will discover something interesting." Conan's face became deadpanned, and I'm sure mine had, as well. "That right, for example, underneath my foot, there's some weird writing." The shrunken Heisei Holmes drawled calmly, stepping onto writing I hadn't seen there before. Obviously, I wasn't as observant as I would have liked.

"What?"

"Eh?"

The kids rushed over, making Conan jump out of the way as they practically lunged at the clue. I snorted in amusement, walking forward to stand next to Conan as the kids looked over the clue. They were so enthusiastic – about mysteries, no less. I'm sure they would all end up like Shinichi when they got older, just as a group, and hopefully they wouldn't get arrogant enough to actually be stupid enough to walk right into turning into kids again; like a certain…_someone_. My eyes drifted over to Conan who was looking at the kids. "Wow! You're right!"

"Mo-za-ri-sa-wa-so-de-ru." Ayumi read out loud and all the words went over my head – a bunch of jumbled words that made no sense. Did the gem's translation fail suddenly for some reason? Gosh, I hope not, that would be a _mess…_

I was proven wrong when it suddenly became understandable again. "What is this?" Genta questioned, leaning a bit closer to the word puzzle. Good, apparently, I wasn't the only one who that it was jibberish. "Is it English?" Ayumi asked next and I felt a bead of sweat run down my cheek. Haha, highly unlikely there, Ayumi, considering I didn't understand it.

"No, that's not it, it's in Arabian!" Mitsuhiko decided, and I almost face-planted into the floor as I lost my balance from the ridiculousness. Seriously, _Arabian_? That didn't sound very Arabic, if I do think so myself. I stepped closer, peering down at the word puzzle that was most likely made by the professor.

"I don't think it's Arabian, Tsuburaya-kun. It's not English, either. Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way?" I softly murmured, catching their attention as I circled the writing like a hawk or vulture analyzing their prey. My brown eyes narrowed in thought as I vaguely heard Agasa laugh a bit before I heard him wonder where Shinichi went. I snapped back to attention and turned to see that Conan was, in fact, missing.

Darn, I took my eyes away for only a _second–_!

Agasa looked worried for a moment before he hurried to a door and opened it. The small stature coming out made the professor freeze – maybe in fear that he'd solved the code? We both watched him move forward slowly, hand coming up to his chin in a contemplative gesture as he let out a soft hum. The professor looked surprised before it smoothed over to happiness.

"Looking at things, seems I've even gotten you confused with my riddle." The inventor laughed, hands on his hips proudly. Conan's eyes faded from the intense, narrowed look. "Huh?" The professor's smile grew, "Well, I'm not surprised. I spent three whole days planning it out." He stated, beginning to twist one side of his mustache in between his fingers. It reminded me of a cartoon character that I couldn't remember the name or face to at the moment.

"Oh, if you're talking about the thing which you've hidden, I already found it underneath the bed in the other room." The not-child smiled up to the plump man, who let out a shocked gasp. "I didn't open it and look at the treasure just yet. Since it's just too easy, I put a piece of cloth of it and pushed it in a little more." He elaborated, hands in his pockets in a casual pose. The professor's eyes shut and a somewhat strained smile played on his lips, "Well, good work…," When Shinichi wasn't looking, I saw the look flash to irritation before I changed my focus onto the diminutive detective.

"Good work, Edogawa-kun." I clapped my hands quietly, kind of mockingly. I walked closer, treading on silent steps I usually reserved for other things. That was quick, I couldn't help but think as he ignored me – how rude! – in favor of putting his hand to his chin once more, eyes serious.

"But I'm still thinking about this place, since I've stumbled upon another mystery."

"Another mystery?" Hakase inquired, annoyance replaced by curiosity.

Conan turned to regard the elder man. "Yeah." His hand reached into his back pocket, pulling out a small silver circle thing. It glinted in the available lighting and I soon recognized it as yen. "Hakase, what do you think about this?" The professor leaned closer. "Huh? Let me see." The yen was taken out of Conan's hands and Agasa examined it lightly. "Why, it's just an ordinary one yen." But, it obviously wasn't if it had caught Conan's attention. I bit my lip to keep in my ironic snicker – nothing was normal if it's caught Conan's attention, after all. Even me.

"I found it underneath the bed." The not-child's tone was strangely grim. Agasa smiled, "Then maybe I was the one who dropped it." Sharp blue eyes averted to the floor, and then the wooden boards were on the end of a laser glare. Poor wood – what had it ever done to him? "No, that's not it…That coin had been completely covered with dust and it doesn't seem that it had been rolling around, either." My eyes locked onto the small piece of silver in his hand, interest making me pay extra attention. I think I remember this part…

"The first time that this one yen was released was approximately in 1955, which makes this coin 40 years old." Oi, oi! Only _forty_ years old?! _How far back in time am I?!_ I felt my face pull into an impassive mask as I internally screamed out in defiance in the inside. Hell, I wasn't even _born_ yet in my world at this time…

"And it was already lying in this place, not to mention it's covered in dust….so…," I could feel the tense atmosphere increase to an excited buzz. "Can it be?!" Agasa shouted in realization and I felt myself coming to the same conclusion. "Someone just came and broke into the house?!" I nodded my head shortly. "That's how it would seem, Hakase." I agreed, but was once again proven wrong by Conan.

"No, they didn't just come here, they actually lived here for a while, and they were a very sensitive old man." I had obviously forgotten that part, along with several other important aspects.

Agasa deflated a bit. "Hm…sensitive…old…man…," He muttered to himself. "Hey, hey, what are you mumbling about? I don't get it at all." He directed to Conan and I could feel a smirk twitch at my lips. "Take out a one yen and compare it to the one you're holding, Hakase." I started, not bothering to cover my smirk as the professor looked down at me. "I'm sure you'll get it then. Ne, _Edogawa-kun_?" Again, that unnerved twitch was such a beautiful thing to see.

The inventor blinked before complying, taking out a one yen from his left pocket. He put one over the other, regarding it with a careful eye… "What?! That yen is way smaller than the one I took out! And it's so thin! It's smaller than mine by a whole circle!" Snapping back to business, Conan began to explain once more.

"I'm thinking that that one yen was an original that the person cut with a knife, making it smaller. That person's handworks are very well done. See? Even the word 'country' has been changed." Agasa bent down as I wandered closer, getting a better view. And there it was – the difference between the kanji. I found it strange that I could tell the difference even though I still, technically, didn't know how to speak the language. I stared at it for a bit longer, thinking, as Conan continued, "I'm not sure if that person did it on purpose or if he accidently did it. But, I don't know why they used the old version of 'country'. Though, since it's like that, they must be an old person."

The detective began striding away from Agasa and I, towards a pile of books. The professor stood up now that I was done with my cataloging. "But how did you know that the person lived here? They didn't do anything." Good point, Agasa-hakase. Point one for the inventor!

Conan moved to the books, opening the first one to a random page. His blue gaze seemed even more focused when he looked at it and I hoped no one saw my uneasy step backwards. "Nope, there's no doubt that they did do something. And they did it while reading, too." Pages began falling slowly as he let them, a faint rustle of noise. I glanced over the kids for a moment, who were still enthralled in figuring out the code to even care for what we were doing, before looking back to the not-child.

"Reading?" The professor's voice mixed with mine as we asked in unison. I absently wondered if this was going to happen a lot more; it'd happened twice only today, after all. "There are fragments of coin material within this book and pieces of white hair." His gaze was suddenly on the both of us and I shifted closer to Agasa on impulse. Scary gaze, nice gaze, gentle gaze…. Gah! _That wasn't helping much…_ "There couldn't have been who, within this short period of time, could have done that to the coin." He closed the book, standing out of his half-crouch.

"So, we can only guess that person was living here at that time." I blinked. The professor blinked. What an untimely amount of time to deduce that… "Oh, I see." Agasa managed beside me and I kept my mouth shut as I stared for a bit before shutting my eyes slowly. _That was incredibly fast…_

"But, why?" The professor wondered and Conan swiveled coolly, arms crossing. "Who knows. Maybe just to kill time…" Hah, _surrre_. And I'm just here because I thought it would be nice to drop by for a visit, I commented with an internal eye roll. "Wasn't there only one person who was living here?"

I jumped as a new voice suddenly intervened our conversation. "There should have also been some kids." Mitsuhiko said, coming up to us while carrying a boring looking vase. "I just discovered this… Proof that kids have been living here. Here, look at the bottom of this flower vase." The vase was exchanged into Conan's hand and I leaned over his shoulder to see the encoded message that I knew would be there once he turned it over. Soon enough, it was turned over and Conan started in surprise. "This is–!"

"It was drawn by kids." Mitsuhiko continued, smiling. My eyes were drawn to Genta and Ayumi – both of which were near a red, cushioned chair; Ayumi bouncing on it and Genta holding it so it wouldn't tip over – as the tallest and most rambunctious of all the Detective Boys spoke up, "I also found something like that." He stated, pointing his thumb at himself and Ayumi stopped her fun to also state her findings. "Me too!" I could feel Conan's revelation, since I was so close and I backed off a bit so I had my own personal bubble again and he had his.

Genta moved to the fireplace, lifting a candlestick to show the bottom. "Look, there's some on the bottom of this candlestick!" He announced, finger pointing to the familiar symbols.

A plate clinked beside me, and I looked up to see Ayumi taking out a glass plate. She showed the bottom to us with a wide smile. "There's some on this plate, too!" An almost inaudible gasp from Shinichi as he turned to look at the plate as well. My eyes scanned over the marks, taking in the obvious similarities and admiring the good calligraphy that was used to make them. Must have taken a while to draw…

"It must have been done by a really naughty kid." Ayumi commented as she hoped down from the book pile. Conan took the plate that was offered to him and Mitsuhiko was the one who wanted to get back to Detective Boys business. Really, he was a very organized and logical kid for someone his age. When I was his age, I was nothing more than a snot-nosed brat like all the others. Haha – hard to say, but horridly true.

"We should quickly go and try to figure out the mystery on the floor." The kids headed off and I started to head their way, too – albeit very, _very_ slowly (we're talking _ameba_ pace) so I could listen to the last of the conversation.

"That's weird. Uncle didn't have any kids, and more so, what about that mysterious old man? Why did he bring children?" I could tell Agasa was probably looking at the code with a baffled face. Almost cutting the poor professor off, Conan began to speak again and there was something in his voice that made me want to run and hide. "Hakase, do you know about '_The Dancing Men_'?" There was a short pause. "Dancing Men?" Another rshort pause before recognition entered Agasa's voice. "Ah, you're talking about that code from the Sherlock Holmes book? About that stick-figure's mysterious dance pattern? I still remember that drawing of the mysterious dance." Ah, Sherlock Holmes. I had just read that book recently, actually…

I jerked when the professor suddenly spoke a bit louder. "Ar-are you saying that this is the same as that?!" My movement slowed as I waited for Conan's answer. "There's no doubt about it. The flower vase, the candle, and this plate…," His tone grew excited and there was that tone that made me want to hide for cover again. "If I compare them, the three symbols to the right are the same. So, in other words, those three symbols are required for the code."

An uneasy shiver ran down my spine and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. "That's right. It's a code." He sounded too happy. Like, _slap-happy_. The evil chuckle that followed afterwards only seemed to accent my term that I had used and I felt myself stiffen as the professor asked, "What happened? You seem happy." Seriously, how did he not feel unnerved?! _That's such an evil laugh… _

"Did you already figure out what the code means?" The good inventor questioned and another chill ran down my spine at Conan's answer. "Nope, I don't get it at all…," _Slap-happy_, I tell you! _SLAP-HAPPY_! "The mystery of the old man, and the mystery of that one yen. That's why… I'm actually quite excited. The more I don't understand, the more excited I get. I just can't face this mystery and be calm."

I was suddenly walking faster to the kids, trying to get away from the overwhelming atmosphere Conan was giving out – the unnerving feeling of being caught.

"A detective's blood boils unstoppably...," Agasa muttered and I couldn't help but agree with that notion. "…huh?" I blinked, turning back to Agasa as he stared at the symbols on the candlestick. "Speaking of this, I think I've seen these symbols somewhere before…,"

_Ah, and the mystery thickens… _

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – Haha, don't worry, I like playing around with my own OCs, too. XD It's fun. (Nods) And yay! I'm glad you love it! Lol, yeah. XD That's her bad memory coming into play. (Laughs) Here's the update~! And, yeah, she would freak out. XDDD I actually have that planned for later on in the story, lol. Thank you~! (Catches Luck in Bottle) **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Yay~! I'm glad I could give you something to read before exams. I hope you did well! ^^ (Don't worry, your secrets safe with me. *grins*) (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you~! 8D **

**To: MagicMilkbone – Okay, so I got that well! That's good; I was worrying that I got it wrong. XD;; I find it sort of weird too, but mostly just plain confusing. (Laughs) Haha, yeah, I thought Agasa and Alice would have a nice friendship and the DB badge thing was too tempting to not put it in. XDD Thanks for your review~! **

**-Well~, let's see if I manage to finish this case before December 15****th****. (Cracks Knuckles) **


	23. Secret of the Moon, Star, and Sun (2)

**A/N: "Let's see if I can finish this case by December 15th." Says past-me while cracking her knuckles in determination. Present-me sighs in disappointment and guilt as she watches her lazy muse sit in the corner, watching Rise of the Guardians while eating chips. "Sorry, everyone." Present-me states sincerely, bowing apologetically. "But she had to, otherwise she would have failed school, too." Future-me by a couple weeks says, still working on schoolwork. "We're sorry." They chorus together. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) **

Chapter Twenty Three

"_Speaking of this, I think I've seen these symbols somewhere before…," _

Conan started, turning to look at the professor clearer. "What? For real, Hakase?" He moved closer, "Where? Where did you see them, Hakase?" Wow, impatient much, I thought with bemusement. The professor seemed to reflect my thoughts, too. "Calm down."

"Hey, Conan-kun!" Mitsuhiko called, making me jump in shock as the voice rang from right behind me. My hand came up to press against my chest, feeling my heart pounding beneath my palm and my head tilted to send the boy a short, exasperated glare. "Come and think about this with us, too, would you! About the code that was written on the floor." He scolded, hands on his hips and Genta stood behind him, arms crossed. "Stop being lazy." The taller grouched before his eyes turned to me. "You, too, Koizumi!"

I sighed, swiveling and regarding the two with my own arms crossed. "Sorry, I was just listening to Edogawa-kun babble creepy nonsense." A breathy snicker left me as Conan sent me an annoyed glare – I think I'm really starting to get under his skin; should I worry? – before he turned to the kids with a somewhat helpless smile. "O-Oh. That?" He walked over to the characters written on the floor and I walked over, as well, flashing Ayumi a smile as she looked up curiously. Well, let's see his deduction skills once more. I smirked as he began.

"Mo-za-ri-sa-wa-so-de-ru." He read before looking up at the crouching kids, "I don't understand what _that_ is, but these kinds of codes are usually written having the letters shifted either one before or one after the actual letter." He explained and I blinked in interest, peering down at the letters. So, it was somewhat like a Caesar Cipher except only one letter moving instead of fifteen? "So, just try shifting the letter back one and reading it." Ayumi's eyes looked up to the right, thinking.

"Ya-zi-ru-si Wo-ta-do-re." The kids' faces were adorned by excited grins when the words translated. "Follow the arrow!" They cheered and I whistled, impressed. "Alright! Let's go and follow the arrow!" Genta started, arms lifting happily. I grinned as the other two agreed, "Yeah~!" This seemed to be a type of cycle – excitement, confusion, explaining, and then more excitement. The kids began running around aimlessly and I flinched back as I tried to avoid being run over. "Oi, oi," I mumbled as I had to step back once more, bumping into Conan's shoulder.

"Wa-Wait a minute!" Conan hurried to intervene their mindless running, steadying me with one hand as I tipped slightly to the side. Regaining my footing, I moved away from his side a bit, though I flinched again as the kids immediately appeared in front of us once more. "What? What is it~?" A warm smile twitched onto my lips at their enthusiastic grins. I saw Conan's face also melt to show one, too.

"When we first entered this room, didn't we see an arrow?" The kids looked around, confused. "We did?" Genta questioned and my warm smile changed into a sharp grin. "I didn't see one." Ayumi stated, dejected. I cut Conan off as he began to lift his hand.

"The clock." I stated, gesturing my chin to it in a way that my sister said was somewhat boyish. _Psh_, I didn't really see why it mattered, but oh well. Heads turned towards said clock as Conan's hand pointed despite me cutting him off. I flashed him a smug smile as he sent me an annoyed glance.

"Wha?" Genta said, before being interjected by Mitsuhiko, "Clock? What's wrong with the clock?" I almost rolled my eyes but kept it to myself. _They're just kids_, I reminded myself, _just kids_. I knew this and usually the Detective Boys didn't bother me, but I think I clearly said the clock, so why did they have to question it? Did they not trust me, or did they just want more knowledge on the matter? Probably the later, but I couldn't stop the tiny scowl that adorned my lips.

I'd never been very good with kids, anyways. There were only two kids that I partially got along with – if you could call it that. One was a little boy, who was so masochistic it wasn't even funny. He would purposely trip over my leg three times before throwing a hissy fit. I had been trying to trip him, but, hey, he _knew_ it was there and didn't stop, so it was hardly my fault. The other was a little girl a bit younger than me – her and I would battle it out like warriors. She'd get on my nerves and we'd usually be driving each other up the walls, but sometimes I would play with her. The last time we had, we'd been playing lions or something and she had _actually_ bit me on the back. The only thing that saved her from getting a big chomp in return was my mom catching me just as I literally launched myself at her, arms out to catch her and hold her still so I could get a firm hold on her.

So, yeah…Not good with kids equals me; the absolute personification of not getting along with kids.

"Haven't you noticed that there's something oddly strange about both arrows pointing to six o'clock?" Conan continued again after he noticed my expression. "How is it odd?" Genta countered and they all turned back to look at him. I schooled my face into a calmer one, not wanting the kids to know of my exasperation with the whole situation. That's it, I'm going to stop avoiding cases at all costs. It'd be bad later on, anyways, what with my plan of how to get the gem back. Detectives would be an endangerment of my species.

I stifled a chuckle at the thought and turned my brown eyes to Conan, who was now back into explaining mode. Explaining mode…Huh, he's stuck with that title for that mode now~! I only caught the end of Mitsuhiko's sentence, "–have broken down…,"

"Look at it again carefully. On a normal clock, if it was 6:30 then the two arms should be separated and not together at that point. But look at that, both arms of the cock are overlapped." He turned deadpanned eyes towards the professor with an unimpressed smile. "That means that someone has played around with the arms of the clock, probably the same person who hid the treasure." I saw the professor give him a surprised look before he coughed into his hand in embarrassment.

"So, in other words, the arms of that clock's the arrow which the code was talking about?" Mitsuhiko smiled brightly, excitement leaking from his voice. Unlike the Heisei Holmes' excitement, there was nothing creepy about it. "Right." Conan and I replied lightly. I didn't even bother turning to look at him; this was obviously going to be something that happens often. "Then let's check what's underneath the clock!" Ayumi grinned and soon they all made their way towards the clock.

"There's a pile of cards here!"

"Look at that Ace of Spades in the middle of the pile." Conan gave lopsided smile – fond – and I walked closer to him as the kids did as he said. "Who knows why that card is pinned to the table?" He questioned and turned to me with inquiring eyes as the children pondered on that. I absently heard Ayumi say the right answer; that the A was the arrow.

"You're very patient with them." I stated softly, a smirk crawling on my face. He raised a brow and I saw the kids move to the chess board. "What's that supposed to mean, Koizumi?" He had stopped adding 'san' a while back. But it wasn't to make it rude, but it was more to describe a mutual respect for each other. It was strange, but it was also how he addressed Ai and Heiji in the future, so it made me feel happy that I'd finally been accepted, although not at the same level as the kids, but like Ai and Heiji. I didn't know if I should be worried about that – _does he know?_ – but I decided it wasn't worth it. If he knew, he would have confronted me about it by now, always obsessed with the 'one truth' of things.

"Well, you seem very mature for your age, Edogawa-kun. One would expect that you would be more…I dunno – impatient." I elaborated, shrugging my shoulders. He sent my wry smirk and shook his head. "I've gotten used to it; if anyone is impatient, it's you." He joked and I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't stop my smirk turning into a genuine smile. "I suppose so. Hey, the treasure is under–" I stopped midway, startled as something buzzed in my pocket.

I blinked before looking down and pulling the sleek black phone from my pocket. I had a text from Akako. I made a curious hum in the back of my throat before shooing Conan away when he tried to see who it was. He frowned in suspicion – oh, there you are, old friend! – but backed off all the same. "It's just a friend." I informed him truthfully. Conan stared at me a minute longer, meeting my defiant gaze, before he sighed and went to join the kids in the room they were entering with the professor.

Alone now, I opened the phone to read the text. "Alice, I need to discuss something with you. Come here whenever possible…," I mumbled aloud, quiet enough for it to sound merely like garbled nonsense. I read the text once more, making sure it was asking me to come over to Akako's house, and then nodded. I typed back slowly, 'Sure, I'll text you before I come over. Don't know when I'll be able to, though.' And then shut it with a click and shoved it back into my pocket.

Something we needed to discuss? Had I done something wrong recently? Maybe something that could change the course of events? I came up blank and chewed on my bottom lip gently, even though it still ended up breaking under the ministrations. I shrugged and licked the blood off before loud, shocked gasps broke me out of my thoughts.

I hurried over to the room the others were in quickly, my shoes kicking up dust and I grimaced, trying to ignore the uneasy shiver up my spine as I got closer to the room.

ooOOoo

I stop running when I make it to the room, skidding to a stop as I looked at the kids surrounding a box of some sorts. I see Ayumi holding a marred teddy bear in one hand, looking at it in disappointment and sadness. "…a knife and wrecked all of these." I heard Ayumi say. She sounded extremely dejected and the emotion was mirrored on all the other real kids faces while Conan's was calculating and Agasa just looked plain shocked – maybe a bit angry, too. But, hey, who could blame him? He _had_ been the one to buy all those toys, after all – even indirect, but he _paid_ for them. Ouch, that must have been a big waste of money…

"Yeah…,"

"The person who hid the treasure just wanted to scare us…," _Bzzt! Bzzt!_ You have officially gotten one life point dropped, Mitsuhiko. "What's going on?" I questioned, finally making my presence realized. The kids turned to me with sad looks on their faces and I winced at the receiving end as my heart strings tugged at the sight. "Wrecked toys were the treasure. Someone just wanted to scare us…," Genta stated desolately.

"No. The professor wouldn't do such a thing." Conan interjected and I nodded in agreement, though no one seemed to notice as their attention turned to the shrunken Heisei Holmes. "P-Professor?" Ayumi stuttered in disbelief and I had to hold back an amused smile. "So, you're saying that these toys were hid here by the professor?" Mitsuhiko jumped in. Conan nodded seriously, "He wanted to create a little hunting game for you guys."

There was a shocked silence before Genta spoke up uneasily, "So, after Hakase hid the toys…," "Someone came while we were still driving here and did this?" Ayumi finished.

"Right. I'm guessing that whoever did it must have seen a little of the code which the professor wrote and found the treasure. But when he realized the treasure was actually toys, he got mad and wrecked everything with his knife. The airplane that the professor had put on the table must have fallen on the floor at that time." I stuffed my hands in my pockets with a silent sigh. "Serves him right, for being a greedy jerk. Messing up toys, now that's just ridiculous." I grumbled as I gently took the ruined bear from Ayumi's hands. I smoothed over its fluffy fur with tiny fingers, pushing the stuffing back in now and then as they continued.

"But who would come here?" Conan shifted so that he was looking the other way as I continued to examine the damage. It could still be salvaged if I sewed it back together – it would be kind of patchy, but hey. I could name him Patch. "I'm not sure, but that person should have just been passing along. He was, so he came in…or maybe… he purposely came in here to search for something." Yup, I'll do that. It would be too cruel to just toss him in the garbage. The bear's button eyes seemed almost sad as I thought of the notion and I offered it a smile before turning my attention back to the matter at hand. No need to get distracted, I berated myself, making a note to myself to grab the bear before we left as I placed it back down in the box of broken and marred toys.

"Maybe it has something to do with those symbols." Conan answered. Apparently, I missed a question. My bad. "Symbols?" Conan's hands were put into his pockets. "Those symbols you found. The symbols of the sun, moon, and stars."

"So you're saying those symbols are a code?" Mitsuhiko asked. "Probably." Conan replied. "Like the dancing men in Sherlock Holmes." I added with a smirk. Conan rolled his eyes as he deadpanned, knowing I was referring to the earlier conversation I had eavesdropped on earlier.

He got back down to business quickly and I _almost_ rolled my eyes right back at him. He was too serious all the time. "Let's see… Maybe there really _is_ actual treasure in this house." His hand was on his chin again in that familiar pose and I let out a breathless laugh that went unnoticed as the kids brightened.

The professor walked back in as I saw the kids start to look through things. Weird, I hadn't even noticed him leave, I thought in bemusement. Too enthralled with the messed up teddy bear, I guess, at the time. I didn't know if that was funny or strange. I decided on both. "Ah, Hakase, what did the police say?" Conan inquired. "The police said that this was most likely done by a thief. They'll come and investigate tomorrow. So it'll be best if you guys leave everything as it is right now. Everything would be best that way." He explained as he walked further in and I nodded, though my eyes strayed to the bear in dismay. Guess that means I can't take it…

My heart jolted and I straightened from my relaxed stance as if electrocuted, sucking in a sharp breath as if I had been drowning a second before. The horrible feeling that I had just endured vanished from my chest a second later. The others looked over to me, so I covered it up by bringing my hand up and coughing twice into it. "Uh…it must just be the dust finally getting to me." I reassured them, coughing once more for good measure. They seemed to take it, except for Conan – of course he didn't buy it – but his own deductions saved me from any questioning as he focused once more, going into his familiar pose.

"That's right. Even though that code is mysterious, I wouldn't want to do anything to the scene." A bark of laughter escaped me as I jabbed my thumb behind me. "A little late for that." The professor and Conan started in surprise as they finally took a look to the kids rummaging through a certain desk thingie, cabinet thing…, or….whatever it was called.

"Oi! What are you guys doing?" The not-child called in an annoyed tone. Genta turned with an angry looking face – or was it determination? "Do you still have to ask? We're going to look for more of those symbols and then find the real treasure!" Yup, determination.

"Don't be stupid!" The shout caught me off guard, making me flinch. "The criminal may be somewhere near here!" I swallowed thickly. Probably, considering that feeling earlier. The same one I got with the Library Murder Case.

"Ah! I found another one, Conan-kun!" Ayumi smile brightly, and I turned to see that she was waving around a playing card. "There's the same symbols on this card~!" Conan ran over and I followed closely in interest. "You serious?" He asked and I hummed in amusement as we finally reached her. Who had been scolding them just a minute earlier? "Look." She handed the card over to him and I leaned over his shoulder once more to get a look at the symbols, too. I grinned as I gazed at the artistic drawings. "_Good work_, Yoshida-san!" I crowed in English, earning a surprised look, but she ended up taking it as the compliment it was, beaming in glee.

Conan clenched his fist in excitement. "Alright! Ayumi-chan and I will be a group! Genta and Mitsuhiko, you guys be the second group, let's go search for more!" The kids cheered their agreement as he turned to me. "Koizumi, you'll–" "Supervise." I cut him off smoothly, retreating to Agasa's side, hands in my pockets lazily. "You have fun now, 'kay?" He gave a friendly look of annoyance – how that was possible, I'm not sure – but went to work with the others.

I glanced up to Agasa's deadpanned face and offered him a smile as he looked down. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be fine." I soothed before stiffening as a noise came from the window. The professor looked to it curiously and moved forward, opening the window with only a bit of struggle. He peered around before shrugging and closing it again, moving back to me. "Are you okay, Alice-kun?" He questioned when he noticed my pale face. I mustered up a shaky smile. "I'm fine. Just…," I trailed before turning to stare at the ones running around, looking for clues. "…fine."

ooOOoo

They had gathered, what I'm guessing, every object with symbols on it. They were all piled on the floor, all of us surrounding them. "So, now we have found a total of seven different codes. On a card, a French dictionary, a record, an airplane, a wine glass, a painting, and this mechanical doll." He picked up the mechanical doll I had seen earlier.

"Now that I think about it, I've heard my aunt say that when my uncle was still alive, he really treasured that mechanical doll." Agasa informed, contemplating on something. "And the three which we've found earlier: a plate, a candlestick, and a flower vase. So, a total of ten objects." Ayumi leaned down onto her knees. "But after having gathered all these objects, we still don't understand." She mumbled, staring at them much like everyone else. Well, everyone but me. I was currently observing _them_.

"Yeah." Conan agreed somewhat broodingly. "If only the code would be longer, and more similar to regular writing, that'd make things easier. Like for example, maybe having the code written in a diary or maybe a letter of some sort." The professor blinked. "Letter?...Oh yeah! Now I remember!" He announced, pounding one closed fist into his other hand. "There was a letter! A letter!" The others finally turned their attention to the professor, voicing their confusion as I smirked. _Here we go._

"Didn't I mention that I've seen that code somewhere before?" He started to stroke his mustache again. "A while ago, my aunt showed me, but I completely forgot." Conan glanced down at the painting that they had taken down a little while ago since it had a code on it as well. He pointed one tiny finger down to it. "Are you talking about the lady in the painting? That person who you said had once worked as an elementary teacher?" He asked. Agasa walked forward a bit, "Yeah, that's right. That happened around five or six years ago." He started.

"She had received a letter every year for ten years that didn't have the sender's name on it. But the address and letters were for her. Since it was so strange, my aunt had let me see it. I still remember that the content of the letter was written was written entirely with hiragana. 'How do you do?', 'God bless', ect." He explained with a hand to his chin in thought.

"Maybe one of her students sent it to her?" Genta guessed.

"No, since all of the letters within the ten years that have been sent were only written using hiragana." My brows furrowed in confusion. Hadn't he just said that? I heard gasps and turned my gaze to the kids. "That's indeed strange." Mitsuhiko said.

"So, what was special about that letter and the code?" Conan queried. The professor's face darkened and he looked somewhat sinister. "The code was drawn everywhere, starting from the four corners of that hiragana letter. Just like a fancy pattern." The shrunken detective looked down in thought for a moment before looking back up, "So what did the letter mean?"

"I really didn't know, so I went to ask that person. Your da–no, er…my good neighbor who worked as an author." Hakase stumbled over his words and I let through a grin as Shinichi's expression grew shocked – like, seriously shocked, as if the notion was ludicrous. Which, maybe it was. Perhaps he knew that his dad would beat him, I wondered with an inaudible snicker. "Though even that author didn't even know what that letter had meant. At first, he didn't seem too happy about it, but once he saw the letter, he got really excited." He continued.

"He took the letter with him back to his place and came back out within a few minutes and told me, 'Give these letters back to your aunt for me. This is just too exciting. Hakase, you're just like the sun. You always turn my horrible mood around.'" He did a laugh before going silent. I'm guessing the laugh was Yuusaku's, judging on the way he did it. "What did the letter say?!" Genta gruffed, impatient to know the answer. "I have no idea." The professor replied awkwardly.

"My guess is that it must have been the answer to the code." Conan spoke up and all of us turned to see his glasses glinting brightly, covering his intelligent eyes and making him look kind of evil – or maybe that was just me. "That's right. That author had figured it out that…," He trailed, lifting his face to reveal a knowing smirk. "The code was also written in hiragana."

There was a surprised jolt, and I absently wondered why they were all surprised. It wasn't too far of a leap, since the whole letter was written in hiragana. It was an almost _obvious_ clue. "Hiragana?" "Are you for real, Conan?" No, he was joking. The sarcastic thought had me holding back a chuckle.

"Yeah." He nodded, smirk gone, replaced with a serious face. "The letter was written using hiragana, so you just need to use hiragana to read the symbols of the four corners." He explained. "I see." Agasa mumbled from somewhere behind me. "Judging by the code on the letter and painting, it should be the same person who did all this."

"But why does that person need to write that code, to my aunt?" The professor asked.

"The person probably didn't want other person to know besides her. For example, if he was being chased by someone at that time." Conan replied and I felt realization wash over me. I remember a bit more now of the case! There was a skeleton and…a gun – I think. Great, my first gun encounter. Prepare yourself for _that_, I thought with a wry grin. I knew everything would be fine, though, so at least I didn't have to panic about anything, right? Right.

" –had said that there was often a strange person who'd go and steal her mail." Of course the person was strange. They were stealing mail. I swallowed another bout of laughter, that may or may not have come as kind of hysterical to them; after all, it would be random in their eyes.

I saw Conan think over something for a second before he smirked _that _smirk. The one that makes me want to go far, far, far, far – did I say far? – away from him. But, this time, it just made me feel excited. My grin switched into one of sharp amusement.

_Let the games begin. _

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – Yay~! I'm glad you didn't regret reading it instead of going to sleep. XD I do that a lot, deciding if I should read something or not. (Laughs) Reading usually wins out, and then before I know it, it's, like, five or six in the morning and then I'm like, "Well, shit." XDD And thank you~! I'll try my best to keep it up~! And cool~! If you write some DC stories, I'll definitely check them out! ^^ Thanks for the luck~! (Catches in Bottle) **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Aww, well, math is always hard. (Nods) You did your best, though, so that's what counts! ^^ And no problem, anytime~! X3 (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan! **

**To: MagicMilkbone – Yup, I like this case as well~! I remember watching it with my sister and her complaining how much Conan explains things. XDDD And yup, lol. I agree, who wouldn't? XD Will do~! ^^**

**To: Lia Alcona – (Laughs) I suppose they can be. (Nods) But, oh wells. That's how we have Conan explain things so that we can understand, too. XDD **

**-Happy New Year, everyone! Here's to hoping that your 2013 will be productive, prosperous, fun, and overall, GREAT! 8DDD (We survived 2012, lol. XD) Also, this chapter was short-ish for a case chapter, but the next one will be super long and wrap this case up! ^^ Hope you all had a good holiday season! Fallen – out~! (Salutes) **

**"Next Conan's Hint: A twenty dollar bill!"  
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	24. Secret of the Moon, Star, and Sun (3)

**A/N: This case took way too long to finish. It was really hard writing this case, so sorry if it turned out crappy. XD;; Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It wraps up this case! ^^ Truthfully, I'm very sick of this case…(Laughs) I put recap, since it's been a while since I've updated and I know that sometimes I need to refresh my memory of a certain story. Is that just me? XD **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) **

_Recap:_

"_After helping a toy manufacturing company, Agasa-hakase received a sum of money, and took Genta, Mitsuhiko, Ayumi, Conan, and I on a treasure hunt. We arrived at the villa where Hakase's uncle lived; however, it's been fifty years since Hakase's uncle died, but Conan found some evidence that suggested someone had been living in the house during that time. Underneath objects such as vases and plates, they've found engraved – very artistic and pretty, mind you – symbols of the moon, stars, and the sun. _

_The toys that Hakase had prepared earlier for the real kids was found hidden underneath the bed, wrecked, while I got a mysterious text from Akako, asking me to come over to talk as soon as possible. Conan – no, Shinichi – now knows that something secret is going on in this mansion of a house. While I supervised, they searched the villa and discovered nine objects engraved with the secret code; a playing card, a French dictionary, a record, an airplane, a wine glass, a portrait, and lastly, a mechanical doll. _

_Also, Hakase remembered seeing the same symbols on letters that he looked over for his aunt. The most interesting thing to Conan now is that Hakase showed the letters to a mystery novelist, Conan's dad. With the revelation that the code is written in hiragana, the case begins to unfold! _

_A mysterious – obviously strange – mail-stealer and the still-hidden code of the sun, moon, and the stars. Let's see how he starts…"_

Chapter Twenty Four

"But, how did you know the code was in hiragana?" Mitsuhiko broke the silence, not even noticing Conan and my somewhat manic grins. We probably looked like a pair of weirdo's, smirking at – seemingly – nothing, I thought with bemusement. I turned my smile down several notches before turning to see he was holding the mechanical doll, staring at it as if it held the universes' secrets. Which, with the oddities of everything so far for me in this world, it wasn't too farfetched.

…okay, maybe a _little_.

Genta and Ayumi were doing the same with the plane and plate – respectively – when Conan walked forward to them to explain. Again. "What are you saying? It's really easy to see when you know where to look." He began and I couldn't help but mentally agree with him. Unless me figuring it out sort of didn't count because I've watched this, seen everything, even if I can't remember at the moment. I shrugged off the notation.

"For example, the black sun… the white sun, the moon and stars, as well as the black moon and stars; the forms change. But the one black sun doesn't change. In hiragana, what's the only character that stands by itself?" He questioned them expectantly and I sweat dropped. This is where my 'almighty' knowledge of the future doesn't come in handy. I don't know Japanese culture, let alone hiragana or kanji or anything else related and nothing would change that. Heck, I wasn't even supposed to speak it fluently yet, but here I was.

Mitsuhiko put a thinking finger up to his lip as he looked up, "The one that stands by itself…," "The only one…?" Genta asked. Ayumi's face suddenly brightened and I grinned at her. She raised her hand as if they were learning a lesson from a teacher. Which, in a way, I guess that was true. "I've got it! It's gotta be 'n', right~?" She smiled widely. "That's right!" Mitsuhiko agreed, "So the black sun stands for 'n'!"

I hid my bafflement as Conan continued explaining what seemed like complex jibber-ish to the others. He wasn't explaining to me, because he thought I understood. Oh, how wrong he was… "The second clue is all the engraved lines have one thing in common…the last three symbols are the same. They certainly have a special meaning." Conan continued, eyes set into a serious glare.

Hakase gasped as he looked closer at the French dictionary, "I see what you mean!"

"Then, we have another clue – the little black and white dots on the right side of some symbols. Even though I don't yet know the meaning of the black dot on the bottom right side, the probability of the black and white dots on the upper right side standing for the hiragana's daku-ten and the handaku-ten is very high." …what the freak're they talking about? I quickly swiveled on my heels and walked a couple steps away from the group to hide my evident confusion and frustration. I was still close enough to hear everyone talking, though, and began to rock on my heels as I bit my lip in concentration. It made some sense, but it didn't help when I didn't know what the heck a daku-ten and handaku-ten were.

"Hey, daku-ten and handaku-ten, what are they?" Genta whispered in his gruff voice. "Didn't we learn this at school?" Mitsuhiko sounded deadpanned and I felt my cheeks flush. Did we? Perhaps I should start paying more attention to class from now on…

"Daku-ten are the symbols that turn 'k', 't', and 's' into 'g', 'd', and 'z'. They're called ten-ten, as well." The freckled boy explained and I listened intently, making note that I actually _did_ recall this. We had learned it last week, but I hadn't paid much attention since I had deemed it as unimportant. _My bad…_ "Handaku-ten are the signs that turn 'h' into 'p', like 'pa', 'pi', 'pu', 'pe', and 'po'." Ayumi finished for him.

"So if we use the hiragana tables, we can find the matching signs for the code. For example, the white moon without a dot, one with a dot, and one with a black dot – we can easily understand that the first one stands for 'h', the second for the 'b' sounds, and the last for the 'p' sounds." Conan smirked. I couldn't see it, but it was practically tangible in the air.

"I see!" Mitsuhiko suddenly cheered, startling me. "We can determine what it stands for, if we use the daku-ten and the handaku-ten!" He realized and I felt a sharp grin spread across my face as it finally _clicked_. Not completely enough to explain, but it was a somewhat… _bizarre_ experience. Either way, I turned back to face the group, taking in their faces and expressions for a moment before walking closer once again as Conan began another bout of speaking.

"Okay, if we use that as a base, the code written on the glass is…," He trailed, picking up the wine glass to look at the bottom of it. I wandered over to peer over his shoulder once again. There was a black crescent moon, a white star, a full black moon with a black dot in the upper right side, a white crescent moon with a white dot in the upper corner, a black sun, a white sun, and a black half of a full moon – in order, if you read it the Japanese way, instead of the standard American way.

"If we look at the first part, the third sound is 'n' and the forth begins with 'p'… what words do we have like this?" He spoke almost to himself, lost in thought.

The kids began to list things out and I had to hold back a snort of amusement at Ayumi's first word. "Panties (_pantei_), hairpin (_heapin_), pelican (_perican_)…," "Ham bread (_hanpan_), melon bread (_meronpon_), curry bread (_karepon_)…," "Computer (_pasokon_), Japan (_Nippon_), ….," Mitsuhiko paused, face dawning with understanding as he spoke out his idea. "Playing card (_toranpu_)…Card! It stands for playing card!" He almost shouted with excitement.

Ayumi walked over to Conan quickly, taking the wine glass gently from his hands. "That's it! That's _got_ to be what's written!" She cheered, but Conan stopped short in surprise. "But, wait–! …Then that means–!" He turned to his side, bending down to see the candlestick better. "Let's see, the code on the candlestick would mean…," He turned over said object to look at the symbols carved into it. "'Pu' for the first sound, 'ra' for the forth, and the third sound begins with a 'p'…pu…pu…ra…," He dawdled, trying to piece it together. I got it a second before he did, but we ended up announcing it at the same time – much to my exasperation and his confusion.

"P–Propeller!"

"Yeah! The propeller!" Genta agreed, smiling as he looked at said thing. "Wait, wait – if the black moon stands for 'ro', then that means..," Conan was thinking on the code again and I pouted, crossing my arms. There was more to it, I guess, then what we had just announced and I was feeling kind of cheated. Agasa sent me a sympathetic smile – he probably knew how this felt, based that he had dealt with Shinichi when he was way more cockier than he was now. That was sort of a scary thought; he was already cocky as it was – not in a bad way, but it could get _kind of_ annoying – and if he was any more, it'd be, like…well…, he wouldn't be a very appealing person to be around.

"Propeller…ro..ro…ro…Look at (_miro_)?" There was a short pause. "Look at the propeller (_Puropera wo miro_)!"

Mitsuhiko and Genta immediately maneuvered the plane to look at the code on the propeller. "There's something written on the plane's propeller." Genta announced, getting an agreement from the freckled boy by his side. "You're right! There's a dot for the daku-ten in the code, so the second sound is 'bu', and the third's is 'ra'." Mitsuhiko stated. Genta began his try at pronouncing the word, "Bu-ra-wo-miru…?" "Bu-ra…a-bu-ra-e…," The two kids of the Detective Boys smiled at their newfound information. "Look at the oil painting!"

And onto the portrait we went, Ayumi leaning down to touch the frame delicately. "That means this portrait, right?" And… "I see! It's all clear now!" Cue Conan's realization. I gave an amused huff, walking to Genta and Mitsuhiko. "Great job, you guys! You just helped crack the code!" I gave them both thumbs up and flash a grin in their direction, which made them light up as if they had just won the lottery. Good – these kids need more recognition; they sometimes help and don't get any praise. I looked back to the shrunken Heisei Holmes to indicate I was done – after the boys had given bashful 'oh, it was no problem's – to see him looking at me bemusedly.

I blinked, confused, before he continued telling us his revelation. "The code is asking us to look at different things in the mansion. It means the code was made up for a special purpose." He grew serious, "In other words, that means it must have been created to hide something. And that thing must be very important!" He flashed us all a smirk. "A–A treasure~!" The kids cheered, eyes aglow with excitement. "Alright, then to get it, we just have to crack the code!" Genta grinned roguishly. "Yay~!" I joined in with their enthusiasm, but I think my motivation seemed a bit dull considering the encouraging smile Agasa sent me. Oh, he was a saint~!

The fact that right after he had leaned down to whisper to Shinichi conspiringly made me stifled a laugh. So, he wasn't quite certain about the treasure. Not that I blamed him. Going to your dead uncle's house and then assuming there's treasure? It would usually – in _my _world, at least – be but a meager thought forgotten through the process of other things. I let out a sigh and moved out of the way, sitting down on the dusty ground. I put my chin in my palm and watched them continue with their puzzle solving.

I had somehow thought this outing would be amazing. But, truthfully, I wasn't exactly sure how I felt of it; it was interesting, sure, and it was cool to have some 'future-seeing' knowledge, sure, but there was just something that was wearing down… _Something_…

My eyes fluttered shut as I pouted as I recognized the feeling quelling in my chest; a feeling that wasn't going to be convenient in any way, whatsoever. It would have come eventually, and it had a bit despite me blatantly ignoring it, but now it was a stronger feeling than before (which was probably why I suddenly didn't feel like putting much into the case anymore) – not a surprise, considering this was day 47 ½.

I missed home.

ooOOoo

As I continued my ridiculous brooding – seriously, I shouldn't be like this! Cheer up, already! –, the others had worked on cracking the code. Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi worked easily on cracking the codes on the plate, dictionary, and mechanical doll and I gave a slight smile at their good work. I blinked as something shuffled near me, sounding like paper, and I turned to look at Conan as he began to write things on the paper in his notebook. It was easy to tell that he was writing down the symbols that they had learned so far and deducing the left ones.

"You know," He began, startling me. His concentration hadn't wavered, making his attempt at conversation seem halfhearted. "You seem less energetic than this morning. What's wrong, Koizumi?" I stared at him blankly for a moment before–"Ahaha! You're _worried_! Oh, god! That's so _weird_!" A loud and joyful laugh sprung from my lips and I felt all my home sickness vanish in one go. Seriously, you'd think he wouldn't be worried – it wasn't like I was _sad_ or anything, just a bit bummed out. Well, not anymore, considering he had just unknowingly said the magical words.

He gave me a confused look, opening his mouth to say something, only to be cut off. "What are you writing?" Ayumi asked curiously, sitting behind him now. Conan recovered swiftly, smiling as he turned, showing the paper diagram thingie he just ripped out as he called their attention.

"This is the full translation of the code." He announced and Ayumi took it happily, "Woah, cool!" She gushed and we all crowded around to get a good look at the diagram. It was easy to read and I carefully took in account everything, trying to remember them. Who knows, the code could come in handy sometime, right? "If you look, it's easy to understand that the sun, stars, and moons stand fo U. Then all we have to do is follow the hiragana order to understand it. For example, if you remove one part of the suns and stars, the same with the moons, and you keep removing one after the other, turning clockwise, they will match the hiragana table." He clarified.

"Oh, I see now." Agasa's voice made me flinch in surprise and I turned to see him leaning over much like the other. I flashed him a grin as he glanced to me for a moment before we both went back to watching Conan. He was writing something on another paper, "So if I translate the whole thing, we have something like…," He raised the list for us to see, "This."

It was a list of all the objects, starting with the vase, and going down with arrows to where the objects lead to another with the code inscribed on them. It went from the vase to the candle stand to the propeller to the oil painting to the record to mechanical doll to the wine glass to the card to the dictionary, ending with it on the fireplace. "Ah…,"

"The fireplace~!" "So, the treasure's gotta be there!" We all jogged over after Genta's announcement, said boy and Conan ducking under top of it to get inside. Well, Genta had to duck – Conan kinda just walked into it with no problem. I masked a laugh with a half-hearted cough. I remembered this part, the part that had me laughing the first time I ever watched the case. It had sounded like something I would do to prank someone, so it was easy to recall. "…I don't see anything like treasure."

Of course, Conan was the first to spot something in the fireplace. "There! There's another message!" Ayumi leaned forward, "Really~?" Conan didn't answer, turning outwards from the fireplace. "Ayumi-chan, bring me what I wrote earlier!" _Bossy, bossy…_ "Okay." I refrained from commenting on his demands and instead leaned my back against the side of the fireplace, its smooth texture brushing the back of my neck. Ayumi arrived a second later, brandishing the list. "Here you go, Conan-kun."

He turned away and began to murmur to himself. I didn't pay any attention instead smirking to the smaller girl. "He means 'thank you'." A snicker escaped my mouth when she blinked before nodding slowly; truthfully, I don't think she minded that he was entirely ungrateful, but still. He should say it once in awhile. Common courtesy and all that crap.

"Hey, what's written there?" Genta asked happily and the kids all leaned closer while I looked down at him; his glasses were glinting much like they had at the end of the Library Murder Case. It was still weird to see it actually happening. Cool stuff like that didn't happen naturally in my world, so it was awesome to see it in real-life. "Yes, please tell us." Hah! See, that there's manners! Good job, Mitsuhiko. "Conan-kun~!" Ayumi whined while the professor encouraged, "Tell us."

The answer came to my mind before the Heisei Holmes spoke it quietly. Was I sensing some irony in his tone?

"Plate." The others blinked and grinned silently. "Eh?"

"Look at the plate."

There was another collective 'eh?!' from the others. "Wait, by the plate they mean the plate we already…," The professor trailed in shock. "What a pile of rubbish." Genta was the first to react, turning away sourly as he put his arms behind his head. Ayumi and Mitsuhiko reacted next, standing up. "So, the code was fake, after all." They were all disappointed. "No way…," Even the professor, who straightened with a dull look on his face. "It looks like it was just a lousy joke." Conan finally moved out of his stone-faced state, head moving up and removing the glare from his lenses.

He was thinking to himself, judging by his intense face, and took out the list again, looking at it pensively as he began to walk around the room. The kids and I stared after him for a moment before Hakase gave us an almost apologetic face, smiling helplessly. "It can't be helped. Before the police come, let's clean this place and place the objects where we found them, okay?" I glanced over to Conan one more time as the kids echoed their brooding agreements before shrugging and tossing the good professor a half-smile.

Might as well pass some time and help clean, right?

Right.

ooOOoo

Cleaning was fun for about five seconds before it got tiring. Ayumi was doing the most cleaning, putting away the objects where they first found them and passing Conan several times. As for the aforementioned boy, he was doing his thinking in the middle of the room, sitting on the dusty floor carelessly as he rejected ideas. Mitsuhiko and Genta had retreated somewhere, having put a table back in its place and then disappeared, and I was helping the professor put the oil painting back into place. He kept putting it crooked and with my slight OCD tendencies, I wanted it to, at least, be on _straight_.

"Hey, Hakase, where was this plane?" Ayumi asked, holding up said plane for our viewing pleasure. The professor looked down, pausing in his adjustments, "Oh, it was near the vase I just put over there." She left and he looked down to me, gesturing to the painting behind him. "Is this okay, Alice-kun?"

I hummed, tilting my head to the side to get a different angle before nodding with a smile. "I guess that'll have to do." I nodded, watching as he sweat dropped for a moment before we both looked over to Conan, who still wasn't helping. I couldn't help but laugh as the professor's face became indignant and he marched over to him, me following along closely. "Hey!" He called, startling Shinichi into looking up at his looming figure. His hands were placed on his hips and I was absently reminded of a scolding mother. "Do something, too! You're staying still in the center of the room, doing nothing…,"

The professor's scolding was ignored blatantly. "Hey, Hakase…Did you say the playing card was in this room, too?" The professor took the bait without any complaint. "Hmm? Yeah, it was there, just under the clock. I took it from there." He pointed to the table/cabinet thingie under the broken clock. There was a silence as the pieces of the puzzle were put together. The dawning understanding was almost palpable in the air and it was evident on his face as his thoughts whizzed by.

He got on his knees, searching the floorboards and I decided to speed things up a bit by adding unnecessary input. "If I were to hide something, I'd put it somewhere up high." The comment was random at its best and I had to choke down the knowing grin that wanted to spring onto my face – that'd be suspicious. Conan glanced up at me, confused. "Huh?" My control slipped a bit, leaving a small grin on my face that I was sure looked a bit evil since it was so strained.

"I said, 'if I were to hide something, I'd put it somewhere up high'. Since people tend to look towards the floor first, not expecting things up high since it's out of reach. Its reverse psychology…," I bit my tongue, freezing mid-explanation. That sounded too smart, darn it! I gave a nervous chuckle, trying to backup to the professor's personal bubble as a comfort haven, only to notice he had left to talk to the kids about something, leaving Conan and I alone.

Realization sparked in his eyes as he looked at me with an unreadable expression. It made me shift uncomfortably before he looked up, glasses flashing ominously as he stared up to the ceiling. Or, more precisely, the small chandelier-esque light _on_ the ceiling. "Hakase, pull me up!" He started abruptly, the professor pausing his conversation with a surprised 'huh?'. "Hurry!" Conan demanded and I stepped back some more, not wanting to get in the way when he was being bossy-mc-boss-pants. I almost face palmed when the professor just agreed, but I managed to not do it.

Hakase leaned down and hoisted the smaller not-child onto his shoulders and then stood, lifting him high into the air. I winced slightly as he came a bit too close to banging his head on the ceiling for comfort; I'd come close to doing that once with my dad, the only difference was that the fan had been on and disturbingly close, which had made me curl up to the back of my dad's head. Conan, however, didn't seem to be unnerved at all. Then again, sometime in the future, he stares down the barrel of a gun and also gets shot, so it wasn't too surprising. He's recklessly brave.

The chandelier was spun slowly, squeaking slightly from misuse, before a rattling noise – almost like gears turning – filled the house softly. We all blinked, looking around for the source. "Eh? What's that noise?" The professor inquired. "Wha…What's happening?" Suddenly a loud _bang!_ rang from above, scaring the heck out of all of us, including me. I put a hand to my speeding heart, rolling my eyes at myself. _Should've seen that coming, stupid._

Dust fell from the ceiling in large drifts as we all stared upwards. "On the second floor, it sounds like something fell down." Mitsuhiko said. Conan hopped right off Agasa's shoulders, landing on the floor in an impressive crouch, "Let's see!" He began running for the stairs to get to the second floor, the kids and the professor following him after a second. I blinked before running after, ignoring the urge to look back for insurance as my neck tingled almost painfully.

We followed Conan as he lingered in the hall for a minute before going to a certain room, opening the door, only to stop in the entrance, eyes wide. Genta was the first to arrive at the diminutive detective's side, "What happened, Conan?" We were all able to see through the doorway a second later, and I'm pretty sure we all looked like gaping fish when we spotted the staircase now in the middle of the room. I was a bit surprised as well – it looked a lot more impressive than it had on screen.

"Oh, there's a staircase in the room!" Ayumi gasped. "So, that's what the point was!" His smirk was evident in his tone. "The code was pointing at the chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. In other words, at this secret staircase."

"My uncle loved mechanisms like that…," Agasa's face became deadpanned as he scratched his cheek. "But, really, to do such a thing…," I chuckled, understanding what he was saying. I loved mechanisms like this, too, but I don't actually think I would ever be able to do it; money and all. The real kids ran up to the beginning of the staircase. "Maybe there's still treasure up there!" Genta grinned, pointing up to the attic-like room. "Yeah, something is hidden up there." Conan affirmed.

"Alright, let's hurry!" With that announced, the three rushed up the stairs with Conan, Agasa, and I close behind. However, before I could even put my foot on the first step, I realized that my shoe was untied. I sighed, glared down at it for a moment before crouching down, beginning to it lazily. The others went on without me, but I didn't mind. I heard them talking to each other vaguely upstairs and I smiled down at the string once I completed tying it. There, now it shouldn't come undone again anytime soon.

I was standing when I felt it – _someone was freakin' standing behind me!_ – but I wasn't able to react quick enough as I was scooped up, a hand pressing over my mouth to silent my shout. I squirmed as I was gripped roughly, wincing as a hand tightened on my wrist after I tried to whack the person in the face. That was gonna bruise, darn it. My backwards kicks had no effect, me being in a tiny body and all. I struggled a bit longer before I slumped in the person's arms, deadpanning at the situation I had gotten myself into. Internally, I cursed my shoelace.

_You've got to be kidding me… _

ooOOoo

Being a hostage was boring, I learned. The man who was holding me didn't talk to me, didn't do anything, really. He was waiting for some type of cue, I think. Either way, it was boring. I'd heard that the kids had already found the skeleton in the attic-like room and absently, I was glad that I'd been caught. At least I didn't have to see a creepy skeleton. A bonus for being a hostage, I suppose. But, really, if we didn't do something soon, I'd die from boredom.

Truthfully, I didn't know if I should feel offended that nobody noticed I was gone or not.

Conan had gone through explaining everything, from the dead old man to the letters to the counterfeiting money part to the broken toys. The man shifted, starting up the stairs quietly and I sighed into his hand as I was moved uncomfortably into a one-armed hold so that his other was free. "Congratulations." The man grumbled and we reached the top as the kids rushed to Conan's side. The man was now holding a gun in his right hand, and I twisted my body to loosen his grip a bit. The kids and Agasa's eyes zeroed in on me with panic and I offered them a one-shouldered shrug as compensation. Hey, I didn't mean to get captured, after all.

"Indeed, I kept an eye on that old man because I knew he was going to find the thing I was looking for. But, when I looked inside the box, there were only toys. Too bad." I glanced at the man's face, taking note of his grin. Why did it seem that all the Detective Conan criminals weren't in their right mind? Right, their murderers… Duh. I rolled my eyes at my stupidity before shifting again. Dangling above the ground wasn't exactly an enjoyable experience.

"I searched this mansion for a long time." The man continued. "I searched it all, but I never thought of a secret hidden room. Thanks, kids." He sneered and I saw as Conan's face grimaced in despise. The shrunken detective leaned down, ready to turn on his power-kick shoe when the loud bang of gunfire shot out. I flinched at the noise – sensitive ears! – as my eyes clenched. I peeked one eye open, seeing that the bullet had embedded itself a bit too close to Conan's leg for comfort. I couldn't help but admire the man's shot despite the situation. He had good aim.

My admiration came up short, though, as his hand moved from my mouth to close around my neck in a chokehold. I sucked in a breath, gripping his arm in my small hands. God, I felt helpless! "Don't move!" The man shouted, squeezing my neck a bit. The kids stared at him fearfully as he continued to point the gun at them and tighten his hold on my neck; soon, I wouldn't be able to breathe anymore. "Unless you want to see someone die!"

"Besides, if you'd used your head, you wouldn't have gotten involved in the first place!" Yeah right. Knowing Shinichi and the Detective Boys, they would have gotten involved anyways. I flashed the group a reassuring smile. I don't think it helped, though, since I was still dangling from the man's arm. Conan stood back up, looking from me to the man with an intense glare. My pocket burned painfully as ideas flashed through my mind.

Subtly, I saw Conan's hand make its way to his pocket and I grinned sharply before it disappeared as I flinched. My trachea was being squashed under the pressure and I couldn't choke down anymore air as the burning in my pocket intensified to something _unbearable_. I let out a garbled whine, trying to get away from the burn and get my lungs working again. The man stepped up the last two steps, so that he was completely in the secret room now.

"The young lady over there," He began and Ayumi started at the recognition fearfully. A breathless growl rumbled in my chest. "Yeah, you. Grab the plate from the old geezer and give it to me!" He ordered and, again, despite the situation, I found myself wanting to laugh. _Old geezer?_ My shoulders shook with unbidden giggles and I absently wondered if the lack of oxygen was getting to me. Probably.

I watched with glazed eyes as Ayumi walked slowly over to Agasa, who leaned down to hand her the plate with a small 'here you go…'. She took it before turning back and giving me a worried glance, which I countered with a goofy smile, before starting to walk forwards. "There, you're a good girl." He grinned and my head lolled closer downwards carelessly. He sounded like a complete creeper. "Come a little closer," He beckoned, "And I'll give you a nice reward…," The click of his gun made my brain work a little better and my head shot up again to glare at him, to which he ignored despite him tightening his hold again. _Guh_…That _hurts_.

Just before Ayumi was about to pass Conan, though, his arm shot out to stop her; it surprised both her and the man holding me, who's grip loosened just the slightest, even though it was still in a chokehold. Black dots were starting to invade my vision and I knew I would pass out soon if this plan took any longer. My nails dug sharply into the man's forearm and I smirked a bit as his eyebrow twitched in pain. He was still looking at Conan, who was starting to look creepy in my eyes. Or was that the lack of oxygen?

Haha, stupid shoelace….

"You brat!" The man reacted to Shinichi's smirk. Whoa, when'd he get so tall? "I'm gonna beat you to a pulp!" Beat to a pulp? Another breathless laugh escaped me – huh, I sound hysterical, _not good_ – at that. Didn't he mean shoot them? "Just wait a second." Conan started, stepping towards the man. "I'll give it to you right away….Okuda Tomoaki-san." Yayy, deduction time~! Finally, I could use some oxygen right about now… Haha, the criminal has the same first name as Araide.

Yes, I was definitely high on lack of oxygen.

"Huh?" The man leaned back in shock, making me swing precariously and I shot him a nasty look for it. Not that he paid any attention to it. "H-How do you know my name?!" Conan was winning this battle; just make the person nervous and they're in the bag. Or should I say jail cell? I was laughing again, but no sound came out due to no more air left in me. Damn. I blinked several times, trying to get the spots to go away. They were getting kind of annoying…

"Well, I asked that man." Conan's voice was dim as he pointed to the skeleton at the desk. The man gasped as he looked over to the skeleton before turning back to Conan. "He can't talk anymore!" The man huffed and Ayumi shuffled a bit closer to Conan. Said boy got an innocent expression on his face as he put his hand to his ear, "Are you sure? If you listen closely, you might hear the voice of his ghost." The man let out an unpleasant laugh and my eyes dropped closed. _**Bite.**_

My eyes fluttered open in surprise. It was the voice again – my voice but not. The instinctive voice that Akako told me every supernatural being had. I blinked before smiling faintly. So it was natural. Where'd it been before I got captured, huh? Couldn't it have warned me or something? Jeez, you'd think that a witch's inner voice would be able to do that, but nooo. I rolled my eyes as it spoke once again, _**bite him. **_The man brought his gun up again and his chokehold tightened again.

"Brat, there's no such thing as–!" He was cut off by a ghostly sounding voice that was loud and seemed to echo. "Okuda Tomoaki…," It announced and the man's grip loosened significantly. My mouth opened as I sucked in a greedy breath of air, filling my lungs as I panted. Oxygen! Oh, lovely, lovely, oxygen! I'll never take you for granted again~! The kids let out scared sounds and Ayumi ran back to Agasa with a shriek. Having caught my breath – though, I was still taking deep breaths – I shifted quickly as the voice echoed again. The man was obviously having a mental breakdown from fear and so I did what my instinctive voice told me to.

I grinned down at his hand – the one that had been choking me – before bring it up to my mouth and biting down on it viciously. His pained yelp was very satisfying and he dropped me in pain before taking aim at the skeleton as it continued to echo his name. I scurried over to Conan, making it behind him before collapsing to my knees, heaving breath again as I put a protective hand around my throat. I grimaced and spit out some blood that had gotten into my mouth when I had bitten the man.

Four loud gunshots rang out, making all of us besides the true detective flinch. The man ran out of bullets but he kept pulling the trigger, broke out into a cold sweat. I watched as Conan placed the plate onto the ground in front of him, hand beside his shoe. I relaxed, knowing it'd all be over soon. Very soon. The burning in my pocket died out and I sagged in relief.

"Let me keep my promise…," Conan started and his smirk was bordering sinister. "And give this back to you…," His hand turned the dial, the electricity sparking in the darkness of the attic-like room. The man focused on Conan, scared out of his wits. "Catch this!" Conan shouted and then he was kicking it skillfully at the man, which caught right on the man's cheek, knocking him down and out for the count. He landed on the ground with a loud thud and I smirked. Hah, that's what you get!

Conan let out a puff of relief and the kids hurried to our side. "Conan-kun, Koizumi-san! Let's run away!" Ayumi said, clutching her hands to her chest. I blinked at her. She wanted me to run now? I could barely managed to get out of the man's arms without overexerting myself – my body and brain were still oxygen deprived. I'd be slow for a while. "Huh?" Conan seemed just as confused as I did. "Yes, or the ghost might come back!" Mitsuhiko added and I let out a breathy chuckle.

"That was Ku–" Opps. "Edogawa-kun's handy work, you guys." Conan smiled brightly. "She's right. It was only this." He took out his Kamen Yaiba voice changer. The kids brightened considerably. "The Kamen Yaiba voice changer!" They cheered and the Heisei Holmes went onto his explanation, "I recorded my voice when I said his name, slowed and then amplified it." Agasa, who had gone to get the twenty dollar plate again, stood up and asked, "But how did you know this man's name?"

"Oh, that was written in code in the letter on his desk. It said, 'the one who coerced me into this was Okuda Tomoaki'."

"Ah, so that's why he was writing her letters…," The professor trailed in understanding. "He wanted to thank her for letting him stay here." Conan walked over to a painting that was covered and I wandered over to look at it as he drew back the sheet covering it. I smiled once I remembered what was on the picture. "Hey, what happened to your aunt?" He asked. "She died last year. She was seventy six." Agasa replied, "Looks like I'm the last one now…," Conan didn't answer, instead moving the sheet off the picture completely to reveal a beautiful painting of the professor's aunt. She was drawn elegantly and it was, overall, a wonderful portrait.

"Perhaps it was a bit more than that…," I whispered to myself, voice hoarse, with a warm smile. Conan nodded in agreement before turning to look at me, putting the sheet over the picture again. He gave my hand a serious look – it was still covering my neck – before pulling it down gently to assess the damage. He winced slightly at the sight.

"It's already turning yellow, so you'll probably have bruising." He informed me and I frowned. Great, _bruises_. Just what I needed. "We'll have to get you checked out by a paramedic, though. Just to be sure that nothing is internally damaged." I sighed but nodded, and he gave me a fond smile before heading over to Agasa with a pointed look. Agasa being Agasa, he'd gotten the clue and was already calling the police to tell them to bring a paramedic.

I brushed my hand against my neck absently before heading down the stairs of the secret room with Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi – all of whom were asking if I was okay. I just nodded with a reassuring grin. My throat hurt too much to talk. Gosh, I hope it doesn't swell. That'd be annoying. We all got comfortable in the room, waiting for Conan and Agasa to also come down, as we waited for the police to finally arrive. They sure could take their sweet time, huh?

I glanced down at my neon blue sneakers, glaring at the shoelaces.

Perhaps my sister was right when she told me I had bad luck…

ooOOoo

The police had finally arrived two hours later and I had been ushered outside by one of the paramedics. He looked awfully familiar and I realized belatedly that he was the one who tended to me after I'd been shrunk. He picked me up and placed me on the hospital bed with a caring smile. "You have a knack for getting in these types of situations, huh?" He joked lightly and I sighed, but gave him a good natured laugh. He was prodded my neck with his fingertips before nodding to himself and taking out one of those things you press against someone's tongue to see the inside of their mouth.

"Say 'ah'." I did as I was told, letting him put the stick into my mouth and watched awkwardly as he peered in, frowning. After a short while, he was done, pulling back and putting the stick thingie away. He grabbed hold my eyelids gently and brought them up so that he could see my eyes properly. Again, he frowned at what he found. I hope it wasn't anything too badly otherwise Kaito wouldn't let me out of the house for a while. And there was no way I was going to miss my meeting with Erise tomorrow. No way!

I'd already called Kaito when we had been waiting for the police and he'd been worried, to say the least. But, after I assured him I was fine for the tenth time, he had calmed down a bit and had just been glad that I hadn't been hurt any other way. The phone call had been nerve-wracking. No one ever wanted to tell someone they'd almost been choked to death, after all.

Once he was done checking my eyes, he leaned back and smiled before starting to wrap my neck up with gauze. I blinked, confused. He seemed to catch it because he said, "Just for insurance." I nodded and waited for him to finish wrapping me up before thanking him once he was done. "No problem." He grinned and picked me up, placing me on the floor again so that I could go back to Agasa. He followed after me when I went to said professor.

Agasa was talking to one of the police officer's, but their conversation ended just as me and the paramedic made it over to them. "She'll be fine. Her throat seems to be swelling a bit, so it might hurt to swallow and talk for a while, but it isn't anything permanent. She should try not to speak too much, though – it could make things worse on her larynx. The bruising will be there for the next few weeks. Her eyes will stay a bit red due to slight hemorrhaging, but it should be okay." He told the professor and I winced. Darn it.

I shrugged a moment later as the paramedic left. Well, could be worse. Agasa smiled down at me, as if reading my thoughts. "It's good that you got away with just that." I nodded in agreement before spotting the bear I'd been looking at earlier in his arms. He grinned, handing it to me carefully. "I thought you might want to keep it. I saw you looking at it earlier, so I asked the police if it'd be okay for you to keep it." My heart lifted and I grinned back at him.

"Thank you~!" I hummed happily, hugging the broken bear to my chest. I'd fix him later when I got to Kaito's house. Well, if Kaito had a sewing kit, that is; though, I was sure that he did, just for the simple fact that he was KID. "You're welcome." The professor replied.

And as everything got wrapped up and our group went back into the car to get back home, I reflected on the day. I got a bear – who I shall name Patch –, we got a criminal arrested (I may or may not have stuck my tongue out at him childishly while passing), no one died, and everyone was technically safe. It might have helped that the whole adventure was fun, too. The sun was already starting to set, causing the world to glow over with hues of red and orange and purple. Overall, I supposed that today wasn't _so_ bad, after all.

ooOOoo

Conan yawned in the front seat, covering it with his hand. Alice, Mitsuhiko, Ayumi, and Genta were asleep in the backseat, oblivious to the world around them. "But, I still don't understand." The professor began. Conan looked over curiously. "Huh?"

"You know, those words your father said. 'For sure, Agasa-hakase, you're a real sunshine!'. And since that time, he keeps calling me 'Professor Sunshine'." Agasa elaborated and Conan deadpanned over at him, "Oh, that. It's just a play on words…," He explained. The professor blinked. "A play on words?" Conan smirked, lifting the chart of the code he had taken with him to show the professor it. The professor glanced over for a second before turning back to the road.

"If you write your name in the code." The smaller answered shortly, getting a 'huh?' from his companion. Agasa glanced back to the chart and looked at the figures that would be used to spell out his name; three white suns were his answer. "See, you only use suns to write it." Conan prompted. Agasa smiled in understanding, "Oh! I see now!" The professor gave an amused laugh. "That's kinda neat!" He continued to laugh, "I am Professor Sunshine!" Agasa announced gleefully with another laugh.

Conan's deadpanned face stayed for a moment longer before he frowned, remembering something. Ignoring the professor's laughing, his face dawned with suspicion and realization before he whipped his head around to stare at Alice's sleeping form. She looked harmless enough, still holding the wrecked bear in her arms as her head lolled against the window frame peacefully. His eyes narrowed, recalling her words as they had entered Agasa's uncle's house for the first time.

_How did she…? _

**Review Replies: **

**To: kittyfinatic515 – Thanks! Here's the full case. ^^ **

**To: DDmasters (chapter four review) – Thank you so much! o^^o **

**To: MagicMilkbone – Yeah, they can be a bit stupid at times, huh? XD And yay! Finally, someone else who doesn't get along with younger people, either. I'm surrounded by people who do, so I'm, like, the only person in my family who doesn't get along with kids. And me neither; I just try to keep polite and not seem strange. (which is harder than it seems, for me, lol) And yup! More Akako coming up soon~! Will do~! ^^ **


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Okay, so, my old computer crashed, but thankfully, I was able to save everything on it. Therefore, I give you this incredibly lucky-to-not-be-lost chapter. XD A building on the friendship of Erise (OC owned by Iriss-sama-san ((lol))) and Midori! Hope you enjoy! ^^ For anyone that reads **_**Mage&Magician**_**, that will be the next story updated and then non-edited chapters will be edited before I continue. 8D **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama.**

Chapter Twenty Five

"Alice-kun, wake up." Someone was shaking my shoulder, quite annoyingly, and I had half a mind to ignore them, but I cracked open one eye to see Agasa-hakase peering down at me. I started back in surprise, accidently bumping my head against the window I had been leaning against. I winced, opening my other eye in annoyance. Well, _now_ I was awake, wasn't I?

I rubbed my eye absently as I sat up, making sure to grab Patch before he fell completely off the seat. "What is it?" Somehow, I had managed to keep the irritation out of my tone. The professor offered me an apologetic smile, as if he already knew I was annoyed, and leaned back a bit to get out of the car. "We're back at my house. Can you give me the directions to your house?" I blinked before nodding, stretching my legs a bit. "It's just on the other side of the Teimuzu River. Ekoda's third block, Kuroba household." I answered shortly and I watched as he went back to the driver's seat.

It was already dark outside and it was just him and I in the car. He must have dropped everyone else of first, since he knew where they lived. "Kuroba?" He questioned as he started up the car again – how long had he been trying to wake me up?

I nodded, brushing fingers through my hair, "Yeah. I'm staying with the Kurobas for the time being since my parents are away for business." The back story Akako and I had come up with had been something like that, right? I couldn't remember at the moment. The professor glanced back at me through the rearview mirror. "For business?" Great, now he was curious. Great job, Lui. Your brain _obviously _doesn't work when you're half-asleep…

"Erm, yeah… They work….as salesmen for a multinational company… They travel around a lot and only come home on occasion..." Okay, that sounds viable, right?

His brows crinkled on his forehead. "Oh, I see. You must be lonely, then…," Internally, I smacked my head really hard and I sweat dropped. _That's not the story I had been aiming for…_ "Haha, I…suppose so…,"

ooOOoo

We arrived at the Kuroba house fairly fast due to lack of traffic and the fact that it was just past the river. Truthfully, I could've walked home, but I don't think Agasa would've approved of me walking around this late at night by myself after what happened this afternoon. Can't blame him, but being driven to Kaito's house was weird. I felt like I was giving away a very personal secret, for some reason. All I could hope for was that Agasa wouldn't go around telling Shinichi I lived with someone named Kuroba; let alone if he ever actually _met_ Kaito. That would be a disaster in the making.

The professor walked me to the door, which was then promptly opened by Kaito and he scooped me up into his arms before I could even get a good look at his face. My face was smothered in his chest as he rocked me back and forth. "Alice-chan, are you okay?!" I squirmed, trying to move back a bit so that I could answer properly.

I gave him a bright smile once I finally accomplished the task, "I'm okay, Kaito-niichan~! My neck just a hurts a little, is all." I answered honestly, a bead of sweat dripping down my cheek nervously as his expression darkened considerably as he took in the bandages wrapped around said neck. He patted my head gently before placing me down on the ground. "Why don't you go inside and get ready for bed, Alice-chan?" It'd been a while since someone asked me to do something for them to obviously do another, but I merely nodded and headed inside, waving a quick goodbye to the professor as Kaito turned to him, his face unexpectedly serious.

He was probably going to inquire about my injuries and the case.

I hurried up the stairs and went into my bedroom, closing the door softly behind me. Patch was placed onto my side table, to be fixed tomorrow. I was too tired to do it now. In fact, I was still dozing off as I lazily changed into my pajamas and then dropped carelessly onto the top of my best, nestling into the soft mattress. I didn't bother to put on the covers and my eyes flutter shut as my consciousness was claimed. Today had been a long day, it felt like.

My last thought was, '_whoops, I never got to go see Akako…_'

ooOOoo

I pulled my hat lower, walking to the café slowly, one hand in my pant pocket. I had _finally_ managed to get out of the house and change into my original form to go meet Erise. Kaito had been persistent that I stay at home and rest all Sunday, but I had promised to meet her and I was going to keep that promise! Of course, I had lied to Kaito – saying that I was only going to Akako's house and was going to relax there with my 'cousin'. He'd still been worried, but after I had said that, he had relented somewhat. The probing stare that had come from him had made my smile strain a bit after the lie.

Kaito probably could tell that I was lying, but he'd let me go, anyways. My eyes were still on the lookout for any familiar shadows, even though I'm sure I would have been able to ditch him by changing into this form.

Hopefully.

I didn't exactly feel like explaining why I could change into a teen today; so many things would have to be dragged into _that_ conversation.

Arriving at the café, I headed in, the bell chiming at my entrance and I immediately spotted my brunette friend sitting in a booth. Rushing over, I flashed her an apologetic smile as I raised a hand in greeting, "Yo! Sorry for being late. You didn't wait long, did you?" I slid into the seat in front of her, taking note that she was already halfway done with her water and I grimaced internally. Great, now I feel like a jerk…

"Ah, I'm sorry! My…brother wasn't complying when I told him that I had someone to meet." I blurted out, bowing my head a bit, before she could answer. I blinked, looking up curiously, as she giggled. "…What?" Erise gave another small laugh, "Don't worry about it so much; I don't mind. Besides, I like coming to this café a lot, so I don't mind staying inside. The air conditioner feels great~!" She murmured, stretching her arms forward with a content smile.

I stared for a moment before giving her one in return. A waitress came over to our table before our conversation could progress, asking for our orders. "I'll have a chocolate cake and a pink lemonade~!" Erise replied instantly, already planned, and I grinned nervously as the waitress turned to me. "And for you, sir?"

"Erm, I'll have–" I paused, freezing with my mouth opened. Had she just…? Now that I thought about it, my hair was short enough to be considered long guy hair and my hat was pulled low so that she couldn't see my face clearly and the jacket I'd been forced to wear – as it had a collar that could cover the bandages around my neck; good thing the paramedic dude had put on the stretchy kind, otherwise I would have been choked by it – was somewhat bulky, hiding my chest easily. "…the same, please…," My voice came out strangled as I realized what this must look like.

The waitress blinked once before nodding and heading to the kitchen. My cheeks flushed as Erise gave a loud laugh, realizing the waitress's mistake. "O-_Oi_…," I protested weakly, not really offended, but feeling incredibly embarrassed. Erise waved a hand in front of her as if to apologize. "_Haha_, sorry –it's just, _haha_, I had thought you were a guy when we–_hahaha_–first met, too!" My head shot up, surprised, "Huh, really?!" Did I really look so much like a guy?!

The brunette gave a soft laugh in response, nodding a bit. "Yeah. It was only for a moment, though, when we bumped into each other. You were taller than me and had short hair, plus you're clothes are somewhat boyish, so my mind immediately registered 'guy'. But, once I got a good look at your face, it was quite obvious you were a girl." She grinned and I deadpanned, blush still on my cheeks.

"Ah, is that so…," My hat was the problem then.

I shrugged after a moment, waving away the problem. Oh well, let people think what they will. My mood took a 180 as I brightened, "Erise-chan, is the chocolate cake here good?" The question was random, but it was a decent conversation starter. "Yeah! They put some sort of added sugar, so it's a bit sweeter than usual, but it's not at all tacky; actually, it's the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted. Don't tell my mom that, she'll get angry and say that I'm an ungrateful child, since I always ask for her to make cake after dinner for desert." She replied gleefully, "I'm sure you'll love it, Midori-chan! You told me you love sweet things before, right? The pink lemonade here is also great! They add a little umbrella too, so it's cute!"

My chin rested in the palm of my hand as I leaned a bit closer, listening fondly. Erise could go on and on about a subject she liked and it was a contagious vibe she let out whenever she did, even if it was through text. She just had a way of drawing people in with her bubbly personality and presence and I was not at all immune to it. It was also good that she was so talkative, given that I wasn't much of conversationalist. She paused only a moment as our food and drink arrived and she took a small sip of her lemonade before continuing the conversation as I stuck my fork into the cake.

It looked devastatingly sweet and I popped it into my mouth eagerly, smiling happily as the extra sugar sprinkled across the top assaulted my taste buds. Goodness, she wasn't lying when she said it was really good! "See, told you~!" Erise added into her long rant, before restarting, "Oh, there was also a purse snatcher yesterday that had taken the bag of an old lady, but I had gotten it back after getting him with an axe kick! The horrible guy was so rude, taking a purse from the lady. She's a neighbor of mine, and she's so sweet. She always compliments my mom's garden and I assure you, it's not the best garden ever. Some flowers are already wilting and stuff, but she still does. Either way, the man was caught by an officer that had been walking by, so all ended well."

"Ryukaze Erise-san, the purse snatchers' enemy!" I announced – not too loudly since we were in a café, but loud enough to seem dramatic as I spread my arms outward. She blushed a bit before smiling sheepishly, "Well, I wouldn't say that…," She mumbled, taking a bite out of her cake. There was a short moment of silence as she took more bites and a long drink of the pink lemonade, which I had found to be just as fantastic as she had said it was. Erise was obviously talent with finding awesome foods. Perhaps I'd ask for some suggestions from her later.

"There was a big commotion in school last Friday; apparently a student from class 2-B had played a huge prank! I heard he used magic and everything! Though, I've heard about him doing things like that before; he's known as quite the prankster around school, but I can't remember his name…," She trailed, a finger going to her lip in thought as I sweat dropped. That sounded awfully like…

"Ah! I remember now! Kuroba Kaito." She nodded, taking another drink from her cup. My eyebrow twitched as I felt the need to laugh a lot, but I held it inside – she wouldn't know what I would be laughing about. No need to look crazy. Of _course_ it had been Kaito. This was Ekoda high school we were talking about, after all. I was snapped out of my thoughts as a questioned was directed towards me. "By the way, Midori-chan, which school do you go to? I haven't seen you around." _That's because I'm always pint-sized_, I answered internally before offering a small smile.

"I go to…Ekoda's middle school." I lied and she gave a small 'oh, that's why'. The subject suddenly jumped to a different topic as she let it go after scrutinizing me for a moment. "Speaking of magic," She started, even though magic had been tossed away for a little while at the subject of my school, "Kaitou KID hasn't held a heist lately. I wonder if he's going to disappear again." She mused and I stiffened once again, my straw still in my mouth. She seemed to notice my change in stance.

"Oh, that's right! How long have you lived here again?" She asked and I found my mouth automatically replying, "48 ½ days.", even though it sounded too precise. Erise ignored the exactness, continuing on, "Ah, so you haven't been to a KID heist before. You have to go to one! They're _awesome_! He uses magic so good that I suspect that he's a wizard, or maybe he has help from a witch or something. That'd be so cool! Anyways, Kaitou KID is a phantom thief that steals gems, but the awesome thing is: he always returns the things he steals!" She chirped and I grinned. Good, a fellow KID fan.

"He's a complete gentleman, and I've heard that he's quite handsome." She gained a somewhat dreamy quality in her eyes, but maintained her composure. "Kaitou KID is just amazing~! He disappeared eight years ago, but he suddenly came back. Since he hasn't held another heist in a while, maybe he's retiring again. He must be some type of magical creature, since, to me, he still looks to be in his teens…," Erise pondered curiously and I had to hand it to her, she was very good at reading people, it seemed. I bet she realized my lie earlier, too. Damn.

"I'll have to go to one of his heists, then." I'd been planning to, anyways. "Would you want to come with me? Truthfully, I don't think he'll disappear again." She looked up at me curiously, clear blue eyes glittering faintly. "Sure~!"

I nodded, decided, "Okay. So it's settled."

"Yup~!" She said, taking the last bite of her cake and then raising her hand for the waitress. She ordered a main dish this time, and having being done with mine, too, I did the same thing. I'm not exactly sure how long we had spent together – as we had gone from the café to a movie to another place for dinner – but it was about six, nearing seven, as we finally started to part ways at the exit of the restaurant. We had paid for everything together, so it was actually easy to do this much.

"Well, I should head home." I gave her a half-smile, kind bummed to leave the high-spirited girl. She nodded, but before I could leave she called out. "Oh, wait! Midori-chan, I want to ask you something." I swallowed thickly, nervous – _what if this was about the lie?!_ – and turned to look at her again. "Y-Yes…?" Wow, way to look suspicious, Ms. Stutter.

"My dad has a game convention coming up for the company he works with. He said I could bring a friend. It's free, so you can enter and play all the games they have with the pass we'll be getting! Do you want to come?" She offered, looking a tad nervous about the invite, as if I was about to reject it.

Once again, I found myself blinking in surprise before I gave her a warm smile, "I'd love to. When is it?"

She had gone from nervous to glowing with happiness and it filled my chest with happiness, too; her emotions contagious. "It's in three weeks, on Saturday." She answered and I nodded, embedding the date into my head so that I could check the calendar later and possibly tell Kaito I'd be somewhere that day. "Alright, I'll be seeing you next weekend, then. _Ja ne_." Flashing a quick smirk, I headed off around the corner and out of sight.

Today had been a good day, I thought, tugging at the collar of my jacket. It was hot outside and wearing the thing only to hide the bandages really took a toll on my body. It was too warm to comfortable with it on, but I couldn't take it off. My smile melted into a curious frown as I headed to my destination, wondering about the text I had received the other day.

Next stop, Akako's house.

**Review Replies:**

**To: MagicMilkbone – (Laughs) That's okay. XD Thank you for reading it, even though you weren't supposed to be. o^^o I find myself doing that a lot with other fanfictions, too. XD And yup! He's catching on, alright! (Slightly evil cackle) And yup, new bear~! Thanks, I will! 8D **

**To: Guest – Ah, I see. –sheepish laugh– I don't know the Japanese language or much about the culture than what I research – resulting in much mistakes – so I'm sorry that that happened to be one of them. I was just copying off of the subtitles from the episode dialogue, so, yeah… XD I'll fix that later when I edit this chapter. Thanks for the helpful insight. ^^ **

**To: Lia Alcona – Yes, it does~! 8DDD *enter more dramatic music and a deadpanned Alice* XD **

**To: kittyfinatic515 – (Laughs) Yup, it is. XD **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Really? Yay, I'm glad~! 8DD And no problem! And awesome! I'll still be stuck in school for a **_**loooongg**_** time, and by the time I **_**do**_** finish, I'll have to start my next grade already, due to some…complications. XD;; (Laughs) Yeah, anything that needs to be tied is troublesome! (Nods) Though, I never bother untying my shoes, so they usually stay tied for a while, before they finally come undone. XDD (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! **

**To: Iriss-sama – It's okay~! ^^ I'm forgetful when it comes to reviewing things and I usually don't, so it's okay. 8DD And thank you so much! You have no idea how much those words mean to me, since I put my heart and soul and sleeping time into this story and try to make it the best I can for my faithful and awesome readers, even though I have glitches from time to time;…okay, a lot. XD And yeah. Being taken hostage is never a good situation, but I found it a nice little quirk to put into the story, so I did. XD And thank you once again! 8D (Eats good luck cookies) **

**-Thank you to everyone who reviewed, as I had been having a hard time with this story, but I continued to preserve because of all my lovely readers and reviewers and favorites and follows. Thank you, everyone. –bows– **


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: In which Midori and Akako have a nice long chat. XD Now, after THIS chapter, I'll edit the ones that haven't been edited and then continue on. (Nods Decidedly) I hope you enjoy this chapter; I had a lot of fun writing it, though it turned out somewhat short. XDD I feel like I overused a lot of words, so if I did, I'm sorry. I couldn't think of any other words today, for some reason. (Laughs) Notes for the chapter are at the bottom, if you need them! ^^ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Twenty Six

"I heard from Kuroba-kun about your little incident. It's good to see you alive and kicking." Was the first thing Akako said to me, amused, as I walked into the same living room as the other times. I was getting quite used to this place and even the walk through the creepy forest wasn't as nerve-wracking as last time. Overall, I had the feeling that I might as well get used to it, since I'd probably be commuting here a lot. My gaze didn't even falter to the skull on the hearth as I took a seat on the couch, straying away from the metal snake frames.

A sigh escaped me as I turned half-lidded eyes to her, "Nice to see you again, too, Akako-neesan." She flashed me a smirk in reply, brushing a strand of her long hair behind her shoulder. "Seriously speaking though, he didn't hurt you too badly, did he?" She looked genuinely curious and I gave her a smile as I ripped off my jacket, welcoming the cooler air. "No, he didn't. I bit him before he could do anymore damage." I answered and she seemed to grow more amused. "I should have guessed."

I blinked, but before I could ask anything, she changed the subject, "Did you go to meet someone as Midori?" A pointed look to my current form was enough indication and I nodded. "Just a friend, don't worry. I'm not doing anything reckless in this form yet." Red eyes narrowed at me and I flinched, grinning nervously. Did I say 'yet'?

"A-Anyways! You told me that you needed to talk to me about something…?" I trailed, wanting her to pick it up and go to the original topic of choice. She stared a moment longer before deciding to let it go. She crossed her legs and arms, starting up seriously, "Lucifer told me something disconcerting."

"…Disconcerting?" I questioned, a bit worried.

"Yes. It was actually a premonition about your future." She intoned, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from asking why she was poking her nose into my future. I wanted to know what was so disconcerting about it and if I insulted the witch, I'd probably never know. So, I held my tongue. "I haven't deciphered the riddle, but it's enough to be concerned about. Lucifer's riddle went like this: 'A false identity and another disfigured mass will therefore encounter face-to-face as upside frowns surround and darkness will fall earlier than sunrise.'."

My eyebrows scrunched. What the heck does _that_ mean? I voice my thoughts out loud and got a very unhelpful one-shouldered shrug. "I told you before, I haven't deciphered it. If anyone can, it would be you, since it's about your own future." Akako seemed irritated by this fact and I just offered her another shrug in return. "Well, I don't know, either. Lucifer's riddles sound more like gibberish. I mean, '_upside frowns'_?" My tone was incredulous as I gave her a look.

She huffed, letting out a small snicker, "I suppose so. It still speaks of the things to come, though, so try to be careful. I don't want to have to clean up your mess if you die."

"…Thanks for your concern." I droned and she gave me another smirk.

"On another note," She began, turning stern. "Your plan is absolutely moronic." My lips twitched, "Huh?" Akako gave me a no-nonsense glare and I cowered under her intenseness. "Your plan to get the gem back. Lucifer told me that you're going to do something so _ridiculous_ that I can't even _speak_ of it." I barked out a laugh as the gist of the conversation clicked, "Haha, you don't need to sound so disgusted with my plan! It's _foolproof_~!"

"The police aren't _fools_, Alice." For some reason, I had a hard time believing that about most of the Detective Conan police force…

"I'm _Midori_ now. Mi-do-ri!" I corrected with a grin, gesturing vaguely at myself. The residential witch decided to disregard my antics, "I'm serious. You'd get caught in a millisecond, even if you managed to actually break into the building." Well, wasn't that rude.

"_Pft_, are you sure~? 'Side, I'll have an ally, soon enough." I stated haughtily; though, I was a bit worried about getting caught, too.

Akako's face grew surprised, "Ally…? …You don't mean…," She dragged for confirmation and I was quick to give it to her, "Yup, I mean _him_! _Him_~!" I teased. Kuroba Kaito – if anyone could teach the art of thievery, it'd be him. The only problem was getting him to cooperate with me (as he liked functioning as a 'lone wolf' in the business); I'd have to plan that later…

"…You're unbelievable." She sounded exasperated, taking a tea cup from the side table that I hadn't seen before and taking a small sip of whatever she was drinking. It smelled too odd to be tea. Again, I couldn't help but laugh at the situation, "Oh, come on, Akako-neesan! Just think of it as a masquerade." "One that could risk_ jail time_?" When you put it _that_ way… "Life's no fun without risks." I decided to answer instead, accepting the drink that the butler offered me hesitatingly as he walked nearer.

I took a sniff of the liquid and stared at it for a moment before deeming it non-toxic. The first sip tasted like plain Kahlúa and I was quick to hide my grimace, swallowing thickly. Guhh. What the freak was this? It didn't look like anything – it was clear, like water! Akako seemed bemused at my not-very-well-hidden gag. "I think Kuroba-kun has rubbed off on you." She commented, taking another sip of her drink easily. I brightened, feeling elated. "Ah, you think so? Cool~!" I cheered, braving another sip. This time, it tasted like Mountain Dew and I relaxed a bit.

Red eyes deadpanned. "…That wasn't a compliment…," Yet another sip of the strange drink before she placed it back down onto the side table delicately.

"I know it wasn't a compliment." I shot back, taking another drink of the clear liquid, expecting Mountain Dew again, only for the taste of rotting milk to assault my senses. It was too late to spit it back up as it had already slid down my throat and I couldn't hold back the disgusted whine this time, which was promptly ignored. My eyes set into an annoyed glare as I stared at the drink some more.

I was startled out of my one-sided stare-off as Akako gave a creepy cackle, making goosebumps appear on my forearms. "Putting more thought in it, perhaps you're one of Eris' favored children." She said and I smiled in amusement. "Then you'd probably be the favored child of Hecate, am I right?" She gave another creepy laugh into her hand, "Yes, she's a very lovely person, Hecate."

I stared at her in astonishment. Had she just said…?

"But enough about her, you are definitely one of Eris' favored. And here I thought that you'd be somewhat predictable, but, as usual, that woman makes everything harder." She muttered, picking up her tea cup once more and taking a calming, long, drink. My mouth curled in distaste before I, too, took another drink of the weird liquid. The taste was sweet yet sour and very familiar.

Orange juice.

"Hey, at least I'm better than someone I know! I swear, he's haunted by _both _the Phonoi and the Androktasiai!" I defended, not feeling guilty in the least that I was practically insulting Shinichi behind his back. Oh well. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? Akako raised a delicate brow, "You know someone like that?" She sounded more amused than concerned. Figures. I nodded anyway. "Yup. Sometimes, it's a real pain to deal with him." I snickered.

"I can imagine. And to think you also live with Dionysus' favored child, not to mention Lady Luck's, as well." Akako sighed, as if it wasn't too farfetched. Which, to her, it probably wasn't, since to her, I'm _apparently_ the favored child of Eris. I didn't know if I should find that rude or funny; I decided to put it in the neutral area of my mind. I blinked as her words caught up with me, "W-Wait, You think Kaito-niichan is _Dionysus'_ favored child?!" A loud, raucous, laugh bubbled past my lips and only my reflexes saved the tea cup and liquid from falling onto the floor.

The witch smirked, "Yes. Ritual madness, and all."

More laughs slipped past as I tried to regain my composure, sides burning from too much convulsions. Once I'd finally caught my breath, I took another drink of the concoction only to spit it out a moment later, bellowing indignantly at the one who gave me the drink, "Okay! What's with this drink?! Now it tastes like _White Lightning_!"

The demon butler didn't answer my question, so I turned to Akako, glaring.

She merely gave me a shark's smile. "And how would you know how White Lightning tastes like, _Midori_?" She emphasized the name, making me shudder as shiver ran up my spine before hurrying to defend myself. "I-I don't! It just…seems like it would taste like this!" Lame excuse, lame excuse…

"I'm sure." She continued before I could cut her off. "That's a healing potion I found in my grimoire. It has varying tastes for several reasons." She didn't elaborate. Truthfully, I wasn't sure if I wanted to know these 'several reasons', either, so I was somewhat grateful. "…I see. You gave me this to help heal my neck?" I questioned, looking back down at the drink as the butler began cleaning the mess I'd made diligently. Opps, my bad...

"Yes, I did. I can't have you running around with such an obvious injury in both forms. It's not a big leap from who's who if you keep doing that with _that_." She pointed to my mummified neck. "Besides, there's only so much you can do if you're not healthy, and this will boost up your energy to, at least, a twenty." My brows furrowed in confusion before I nodded slowly. "I see…," No, I didn't. Was there a scale for energy levels?

"Wait. Then what are you drinking?"

"Sahlab. It's a popular drink in Egypt. It's made with the powder of the bulb of an orchid, _Orchis mascula_. This one, however, is just an instant mix; not the real product." She said, taking another drink of said 'Sahlab'. "In Egypt?" I asked, curious. "Are you from there?" There was no other real reason I could see her drinking something from Egypt in Japan otherwise. Then again, she wasn't the most _common_ person ever…

"Yes, I'm half-Egyptian." Well, that explained a lot about some of her house and clothing decorations. Especially the cobras that are everywhere. I forced myself to take another drink of the healing potion, trying my best to ignore the taste. "My mother was an Egyptian witch, but when she was exiled for using powerful black magic, she moved to Japan and met my father, a warlock in the Koizumi clan." _Exiled_?! How long ago was this?! I refrained from asking, though, more than curious about Akako's bloodline.

"Then, my mother gave birth to me." She finished and I pouted. That was all she was going to tell me?

Swallowing down the rest of the horrid-tasting potion, I tried not to give into my urge to pry. I was lucky that she actually told me this much. "So you're Egyptian-Japanese. That's an interesting combination." I commented instead. She gave me a sly look, "Like you're one to talk, Salvadoranian-Filipino." We shared smirks before she broke it off to take another drink of her Sahlab.

"…You know, Akako-neesan…," I trailed, wondering how I should put this. "...Who exactly _are_ the Koizumi's?" Better yet, "_What_ exactly are the Koizumi's?"

She looked surprised at the question before smiling to herself, as if thinking of an inside joke. "We're merely witches and warlocks that use the dark arts for personal joy." She replied shortly, finishing up her drink before standing. "Either way, we should get you back home before Kuroba-kun has a fit of worry."

I hurried to scramble off the couch, placing the empty tea cup on the side table, before dashing after her as she moved swiftly through the house. Surprisingly enough, we found ourselves in front of a bathroom and she pointed to my bag slung around my shoulders. "Your clothes are in there, right?"

I blinked, nodding.

"Good, get changed back and then we'll go. Make it quick, would you?" With that, she stalked off into a darker area of the house, disappearing quickly within the shadows. My eyes stared for a moment longer, confused, before I looked down to my bag, wondering why I had to change before it hit me as I glanced downwards. _Right_, I was still Midori at the moment. _Good call, Akako._

Sauntering into the bathroom, I closed the door behind me, thinking over everything that happened today.

…A good, but strange day, indeed.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Iriss-sama – Yup, another chapter~! 8D And thank you! (Nods) Some people like talkative people (I do. XD) because we can't talk as much without feeling awkward and stuff. (Laughs) And yup, you did! It's been mentioned, like, twice before, but it's at small intervals where you can't really remember she said them. XDD And that's good that you don't notice the glitches. Some of them are super embarrassing to notice as I edit the chapter. XD And I'm sure you and your friend write awesome! ^^ It just takes a bit of practice to get used it sometimes. (I'm still getting used to it;;) (Laughs) Thank you for the good luck cookies~! (Eats them) And here's the next chapter! 8D **

**To: MagicMilkbone – Thank you! I was worried it turned out strange, since I don't have a lot of experience on that type of situation. XD;; And me, too! I have lots of plans for it. (Laughs Evilly) And fish sounds like a wonderful addition to that meeting~! 8DD Poor Kaito, indeed…XDD **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Yup, new chapter~! ^^ A heist with her would be chaotic at best. XD And awesome! 8D Summer vacation is always the best time of the year! And yay! New fandoms! 8D My sister watches Hetalia sometimes and I've been wondering if I should watch it, but I never get to it, for some reason. ;;; And I love MMD! I used to use it, once upon a time, but I could never figure out how to. (Laughs) I hope you have a better time with it than me and animate some cool stuff~! 8D And, yeah, complications. (Sighs) I'm probably going to be working my butt off until summer of 2014, with no break, because of said complications. I won't go too much into detail, but just know that I started school later than usual and stuff. ^^;;; Thank you~! (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) **

**To: roxifoxi – Thank you so much! That means a lot to me! Haha, I do that too sometimes; seeing a long story but then not reading it since it has so many chapters. XD And it's okay! ^^ And thank you so, so, so much for those words! I feel so happy now~! Here's the update. 8D **

**-Chapter notes:**

_**Eris**_**: Eris is the Greek goddess of chaos, strife, and discord. **

_**Hecate (also written as Hekate)**_**: Hecate is an ancient goddess, variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, fire, light, the Moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, necromancy, and sorcery. **

_**Phonoi and Androktasiai**_**: In Greek mythology, the Phonoi and the Androktasiai were, respectively, the male and female spirits/personifications of murder, killing, and slaughter/manslaughter.**

_**Dionysus**_**: Dionysus is the Greek-Roman god of wine, merry-making, theatre, ecstasy, and ritual madness. He is often represented as the protector of those who do not belong to conventional society and thus symbolizes everything which is chaotic, dangerous and unexpected, everything which escapes human reason and which can only be attributed to the unforeseeable action of the gods.**

**_Grimoire_: A grimoire is a textbook of magic. It usually includes instructions on how to create talismans, amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divinations and how to summon or invoke supernatural beings (angels, demons, spirits, ect.,ect.), among other things. **

**I hope those notes helped. XD I know not everybody is a mythology nerd, like me. (Laughs) Explanations were half-contributed from Wikipedia, edited by me to be shorter. XD **


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: This chapter was fun to write. XD Animal idea adapted from **_**MagicMilkbone**_**'s suggestion! ^^ Hope you like this chapter, even though it's kinda just a character introduce before some shit hits the fan in the next chapter. XDD Also, I have officially decided to not edit the chapters for the **_**Secret of the Star, Moon, and Sun**_** case (as they're the ones not edited yet, besides the newest-newest). It hasn't been that long since I've written it and re-reading it makes me feel sick to the stomach and mind because those chapters gave me hell. I'll edit them further on into the story – and I will get back to them, since I plan to re-read the whole of my Revolver story over again when it's completely finished to edit things I might have missed when first editing. So, yeah. Those chapters will just go unedited for now. I hope no one minds. Though, if there was a huge, big, blunder (like time sense, place sense, "WTF does that sentence even mean?" sense, ect.,ect.), please inform me and I will fix it so that the story makes sense. XD **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) **

Chapter Twenty Seven

"You know," Erise began. Yet another week had passed and we were walking around Ekoda's shopping district on a bright, sunny, Saturday. Despite Akako saying that the weird potion would help me heal faster, I still had to wear bandages around my neck; unfortunately, even though they were healing a lot faster, they had now faded into horrid, yellow, handprints. Not indiscrete _at all_. I turned curious to Erise, "Hm?"

"That cat has been following you since you first met up with me in the café." She commented, gesturing to a black cat not too far off.

I blinked, stopping to get a good look at it. "A _black_ cat, huh…?" I droned, deadpanning. I had enough bad luck already, thank you very much. My gaze turned to Erise. "You don't have any catnip on you, do you?" I teased and she flushed, shaking her head quickly. "N-No! Besides, it's following you, not me! Maybe you look like its owner?" She peered at the cat as well.

My eyebrows furrowed, "I don't know. Have you seen anyone that looks like me?" I questioned and she turned to regard me with a critical.

She started at my scuffed sneakers – the ones I'd been wearing when I first arrived in this world – and scanned me up to the tips of my unruly hair, eyes lingering briefly on my baggy shirt and neck (I absently remembered I had decided not to hide the bandages this time, for fear of getting heat stroke). "…Nope. I don't think I've seen anyone quite like you before…," She trailed and I flushed indignantly. "W-What's _that_ supposed to mean?!" Erise gave a friendly laugh, raising her hands in surrender. "It's not anything bad, but you tend to give off the vibe of someone on a whole different level than the rest of us." She explained, still giggling at my expression.

I looked down at myself, but I couldn't find anything any different in the way I wore my clothes, except the fact that I dressed a lot more guy-ish than girl's my age. It wasn't like that was uncommon, though; there were still quite a few tomboys, so I didn't see the problem. Raising a brow, my expression was incredulous when I upturned my head to her. She gave another laugh, "Don't worry about it, like I said, it's nothing bad. You just seem faraway, in a sense."

I still didn't understand, but I put it to the back of my mind, looking back to the cat. A sigh escaped me. "If we ignore it, it'll go away. Where do you want to go next, Erise-chan?" She looked ready to protest – and truthfully, I was having a hard time turning my back on the cat, too – but held it back as I began walking again, her running to catch up with my longer strides.

"Um, do you want to get some ice cream?"

My eyes flitted to her hopeful face and I concealed a smile with the collar of my shirt, pulling my hat lower, "Sure. Ice cream sounds great right now."

ooOOoo

"Here we are." Erise stated, making me glance at the nameplate. The sun had already gone down and since it was so dark, I had walked her home. Two is better than one, after all; though, even if we did get attacked, I'm sure Erise would be able to take care of herself. Earlier that day, we'd had a small, friendly competition and she'd beaten the crap out of me by combining both her kendo and taekwondo. I had sulked about it for a while after, nursing my bruised tailbone.

Still, Erise was a bit afraid of walking home alone in the dark, so I had offered to accompany her.

"It's a nice house." I commented, taking in the big size of it. There was a small garden in the front yard, withering in the darkness. That must be the garden she'd spoken about before, I noted with an amused smirk. It certainly wasn't the _best_ garden ever, like she'd said, but it did have a certain charm to it. There was a white picket fence around it, reminding one of the ideal houses back in America. She unlocked the front gate surrounding the house and stepped in, smiling back at me, "Thanks for walking me home, Midori-chan! You'll be able to make it next weekend, right?"

"Yeah! I'll be able to go." I grinned, flashing her a brief thumbs up before waving. "I'll see you next weekend, Erise-chan!" I waited until she was back inside the safe confines of her house before turning to leave, rounding around the corner. The night was silent as I headed back to a public bathroom.

Changing quickly, I hurried back out and started running towards the Kuroba household. In this form, being out this late was dangerous. Especially since this was the Detective Conan world. I did not feel like getting kidnapped, thank you, but if I did, I would just turn back to my original form when they weren't looking. Let's see how they'd take _that_. I snickered as I imagined their expressions.

Kaito's house came into view and I was quick to enter inside the yard, walking up to the door and knocking on it. I still hadn't acquired a key to the house, but Kaito had mentioned it the other day, so I'm assuming that I would be getting one soon. Waiting for the resident thief to answer the door, I turned my gaze back to the gate, realizing a pair of gold eyes were still watching me in the distance. I scowled at the cat, it's body not visible in the darkness. "Shoo." I hissed – but there was no real heat behind the words – and I waved my hands in a 'go away' gesture. It merely continued to stare at me before it blinked and disappeared behind the wall of the gate.

An accomplish smile graced my lips as I swiveled back to the door as it opened. Good. At least more bad luck wouldn't be following me around. Though, I did feel kinda bad to just abandon it like that…

"Welcome back, Alice-chan." Kaito greeted, herding me inside the warm confines of the house. I grinned as he closed the door behind us and lead me to living room. "Did you have fun with your friend?" He asked cheerfully. I nodded brightly, but didn't offer any details. He accepted that, as he now knew I was a very private little girl, placing me on the couch and taking out the first aid kit that I hadn't noticed before. "That's good! We just have to change your bandages and then you can go to sleep; you must be tired. You have an earlier day tomorrow, too, right? You told me you'd be going to a friend's house…?"

He started unwrapping the bandages from my neck gently as he fished – _haha_… – for information.

"Edogawa Conan's house. He lives in a detective agency. I'll be going there with the rest of the Detective Boys." I answered shortly, feeling him stiffen at the words 'detective' before he continued on. If I hadn't been so aware of his pokerface, I wouldn't have noticed.

"I see. You'll have to introduce me to your friend's sometime, 'kay?" He grinned, prodding around my neck carefully. "Hm…It seems to be healing nicely. Faster than usual, though." He added curiously. A bead of sweat ran down my cheek nervously as I gave a laugh, "Y-Yeah. Akako-neesan gave me something to heal faster." He already knew Akako was a witch, so why lie, right?

Kaito gave an ironic laugh, "Haha, I should have figured."

Done with his inspection, he began to rewrap my neck, careful not to catch the ends of my hair. "There you go." He announced, sitting back to admire his handy work. I had to admit, it was a lot more comfortable with how he wrapped it than the paramedic. Less like it was trying to strangle me and more like the way one would put on a scarf in the cold.

"Thank you, Kaito-niichan." I hummed to him, giving him a brief hug, before shuffling up the stairs to my room to go to sleep. I was exhausted. Tomorrow, I was to meet Ran and Kogoro, too. Hopefully, I wouldn't screw that up too badly.

ooOOoo

The next morning, I headed out fairly early – well, it was only eleven, but, for us nocturnal creatures, that's pretty darn early – while bidding my farewell to Kaito, who was going to head over to Aoko's house for the day. With an internal grin, I had labeled it as a date, but wisely kept the observation to myself. My good mood, however, spiraled downward into a deadpanned feeling as I rounded the corner of the gate, only to see a pair of familiar gold eyes staring back at me.

"…_Seriously_?"

As if on cue, the black cat walked forward to wind around my legs, rubbing itself against my calves. The soft fur tickled against my skin – as I was wearing shorts today – and I resisted the urge to laugh and give it a friendly scratch behind its ears. I refrained. But only _just_ refrained. Animals would be the end of me…

The cat stared back up at me with pleading, intelligent, eyes and my eyebrow twitched at the sheer adorable-ness. My hands twitched once before I shoved them into my pockets to keep from doing anything I'd regret. Must not befriend it, must not befriend it, _mustnotbefriendit_! "Erm, I can't move." I awkwardly stating before nearly face palming. Why would the cat care about that? Let alone, it probably wouldn't even understand me. Talk about foot-in-the-mouth syndrome. Or was this something different? I rubbed my chin against my shoulder indecisively, still staring down at the cat that was still winded around my legs.

Miraculously, though, I watched as the cat paused before slowly walking slightly away from my legs. It was still near, but it wasn't obscuring my walking path anymore. Good. Now I could walk without worrying about stepping on the small animal. "Uh, thanks." I found myself replying dumbly before I decidedly started to ignore it and walk to my destination.

Again, I purposely ignored the sound of paws trailing after me. Darn persistent cat.

My destination – the Mouri Detective Agency – was quick to find and easy to get to (though, I had kind of cheated by taking the bus that I always took to get closer to school). The building was intimidating up close, but maybe that was because I knew the people that would be inside. The bottom café was bustling with people and I spotted a recognizable waitress taking orders – Enomoto Azusa. A smile curled on my lips before, hesitatingly, I started up the steps leading to the Detective Agency.

Stopping before the door, I flashed a stern glare to the cat still at my heels. "You won't be able to come inside. So, like, wait outside and find someone else to play with, or something." I ordered clumsily, pointing down the steps, indicating that it should leave. Without waiting for the cat's response, I knocked on the door politely.

"That must be Koizumi-san." Conan, ever the deduction-er. "Coming!" A different, sweeter – feminine – voice called. It was the familiar tones of Mouri Ran. My stomach flipped uneasily at the thought of meeting yet another character; it had been a while since I'd met a new one and I was excited yet feeling the same inexplicable worry about it as the last times. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was an – no joke intended– 'out of my world' experience.

The door soon opened to reveal the girl in question. She looked much taller from this angle and she was much, much, prettier in real life. Her face was curved onto her slim neck, her dark tresses falling gracefully around her features, clashing with her lighter skin. I could spot barely-there freckles dotting her cheeks infrequently if I looked close enough and her eyes were a pretty shade of stormy blue that brightened the farther it was from the iris, making it appear almost lavender-ish from afar; her smile was warm, genuine affection in it.

To say she was beautiful was an understatement. True to Vermouth's words, she really _did_ look like and remind one of an angel.

"Ah, you must be Koizumi Alice, right?" She asked nicely, ushering me into the building. "A-Ah, yeah…That's me. You're Mouri Ran-san, right?" Polite but distant; even though Ran was a lovely girl, she did have a revengeful side to her as well. It would be best to stay on her good side. "Just call me 'Ran'." She smiled as we walked further in. The smell of cigarettes assaulted my senses and I inhaled deeply, having missed the smell from my father for a long time. Despite it being bad for my health and, technically, second-hand smoking, the smell was calming to me. Don't ask why; I didn't know either.

"O-Okay…Ran-neesan." My grin was lopsided and awkward, I could tell. Luckily, Ran disregarded it easily enough as shyness. "It's nice to meet you." I added after a moment, getting another angelic smile. "It's nice to meet you, too, Alice-chan." It felt oddly strange to be called Alice-chan by someone other than Kaito, but it was a good kind of strange.

With that, Ran left to go do something in the kitchen and I was faced with the Detective Boys, "Hey, Koizumi, what took you so long?" Genta questioned, grumping a bit. I rolled my eyes fondly; ever impatient, aren't we? "There was a cat that wouldn't leave me alone." Conan blinked in interest. "A cat?" Ayumi and Mitsuhiko seemed just as curious. "Are you carrying catnip?" Ayumi innocently questioned and I grinned roguishly at the familiar question. Déjà vu much?

"Nope, I'm not carrying catnip. Why would I need catnip?" I raised a brow.

"Who's talking about catnip?" Kogoro's deep, gruff, voice cut off the rest of the conversation as he peered over his table and stared down at me with his black eyes. "Oh, it's just another brat." He muttered to himself, taking another drink from the beer can next to him. He wasn't smoking at the moment, so I assumed that the smell of tobacco was a constant. That would be kinda nice…

I tilted my head towards the side in greeting, making sure none of the others could see my expression as I sent him a wicked smirk, peeking at him through my bangs . "Nice to meet you, drunken mister. I'm 'just another brat'." Not so great as a first impression, but his face was worth it. It was surprised before it morphed back into its grumpy state as he took another long gulp of his beer. "It's not drunken mister, brat. It's Mouri Kogoro, the world's greatest detective!" He boasted, puffing his chest out proudly.

"I know, I've heard of you." I began, "Just because you're a good detective doesn't mean you aren't drunk." Conan hid a laugh behind a cough behind me and I flashed Kogoro another smile before turning back to my friends.

"So, what are we here for again?"

ooOOoo

The day had been long and fun; we'd gone to the park to play soccer and had also played a multitude of other children's games. The kids, however, didn't get why I hadn't wanted to play '_Kagome, Kagome_' with them, though. God forbid I actually play that game with Shinichi, of all people…

Currently, I was standing in front of the Kuroba household, having a stare off with a peculiar feline. "…Why are you still following me? It's not like I gave you food or anything." I commented and gave a deep sigh before plopping down on the ground to talk to it at a closer perspective. Maybe it'd get the idea and finally vamoose. The cat continued to stare with its golden eyes, cleaning off its paw absently with its tongue. "Do I look like your _owner_ or _something_, like Erise-chan said? Are you _lost_? Do you need to go to a _vet_?" My eye twitched in irritation as it just continued to sit there; I could have sworn its tail was flicking in amusement.

"Do I smell _bad _or something? Maybe smell _good_? Are you _related_ to my world, somehow?" At the last question, it seemed to perk up in interest and I resisted the urge to slam my forehead into the nearest surface. Brick wasn't exactly a gentle substance, after all. Of all the questions to react to–! Now I was curious, too, darn it!

Cautiously, I raised a hand out and scratched under its chin, watching it purr contently. My sharp eyes caught that there was no collar, meaning it was probably a stray. Immediately, my will crumbled.

"Okay, okay. You can stay with me for the time being. I'm sure Kaito-niichan won't mind as long as you don't make a mess of things and I take care of you properly." I wrote off the smug look twinkling in the cat's eyes as paranoia. No cat can look smug, no cat can look smug, no cat can look smug, _nocatcanlooksmug_…

It licked my finger as a sort of agreement and I gave another sigh, glancing down at it. "Either way, what am I going to call you? I can't just call you 'cat' all the time…," I trailed, trying to think of a good name. I paused. "Wait, are you a girl or a boy?"

"…You know what, disregard that question, I'm not checking. I'll just have to choose a name that can be used for both genders." I muttered, feeling my face flush.

The black cat and I sat there for a while, just gazing at each other, when an idea struck me and I brightened happily. "How about Kin?" It tilted its head. "It can be used for both boys and girls and it's just like your eyes(1)!" Personally, I thought it was a brilliant name, having just come up with it. The newly named Kin seemed to think so, too, as she/he snuggled into my leg as I stood up.

"Okay! It's settled then. Let's go, Kin-chan! We have to ask Kaito-niichan for permission." With that, I scooped up the cat of misfortune – and it figures I would happen to acquire such an animal (not that I really cared that much for the superstitious things like that; black cats were actually a personal favorite of mine, too, so it helped me over look that fact a bit) – and bounded into the house joyfully.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Iriss-sama – Yeah, a chapter that fast. XD I was surprised myself, too. (Laughs) Thank you for your continued support! 8D It makes me really happy to hear that you enjoy my story so much. ^^ Here's the next chapter~! Thank you for all the luck~! 8DDD (Changes them into lucky tokens) XD And I will, thank you! ^^ **

**To: Guest – Yay! More mythology nerds! 8D I, also, love Egyptian mythology – learning more about the culture of things while learning about the surreal is fun. XDD (or is that my inner geek talking? XD) Thank you for telling me. ^^ In the manga, he has blue eyes, and in the anime, his eyes are a lovely brown (which most fans than associate with the color gold to make it sound prettier), but in this case, I'll be using all three eye colors. So, while his eyes may have been blue in that chapter, in the future, his eyes will probably be a different color, due to my toying with his character. (Laughs) Ah, and okay. I won't thank you (though I really want to). XD Here's the update~! **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Haha, yeah, it was. XDDD I was surprised, too! And really? That's awesome! I could use some motivation and stuff for history and it sounds like an interesting show, so I'll definitely try it out when I have the time. ^^ And it's okay. XDD Promoting other fandoms in another fandom is kind of like spreading the love. (Laughs) You're welcome. ^^ Haha, thank you! I had fun selecting which god/goddess would be best for the characters. XD (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you~! 8D P.S: Thank you~! I'm very proud of both my heritages, so I was grinning when I put that little tidbit in. XD **

**-(1) KIN meaning "gold" (****金****) - Japanese unisex name.**


	28. Game Company Murder Case (Part 1)

**A/N: Well, this was a fun chapter to write! But, I feel like it's unnecessarily confusing. XD; Maybe that's just my perspective? (Shrugs) Who knows? Anyways, I hope you enjoy this first part of the case! 8DDD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama. (I own her dad and mother, though; but I suppose they're also partially owned by Iriss-sama, since she's the creator of their daughter ((who they're based off of)) and…yeah…I'm rambling. XDD) **

Chapter Twenty Eight

Day 67 ½ of being here, and I had an incredibly sinking feeling.

Despite my dreading feeling and want to lock myself in my bedroom all day, I had a promise to keep. Today was Saturday; the day of the game convention that Erise had invited me to. It was actually more of a 'new release party', but I didn't really care – in my mind, it was a game convention. Technically, it was, so I didn't see the problems with said technicality. Or was that just my point of perspective with such things? I wasn't sure, nor did I care. As if to reflect my reluctant, petulant, mood, it was raining lightly.

"Oi, Erise-chan," I waved her over from where she had just arrived, looking for me at our appointed meeting place. "Over here." She looked over from under her dotted umbrella, brightening when she recognized me despite my soaked visage. My once light blue sweater had changed to a deep indigo, my hood up to protect my face and hair from the liquid – not that it was doing much now; I knew my hair had probably already turned to a dark black from its brown color, as my bangs were already dripping in front of my eyes, eyelashes thick with water.

To say I had come a bit too early was an understatement.

She quickly ran over and put her umbrella over the both of us when she got closer. "Midori-chan! You're soaking wet! Did you wait long? I'm sorry! My dad was fussing about who I was going with when I told him that it was the person who dropped me off at the house last weekend! He thought you were a boy, too–" She paused to laugh lightly and I felt my eyebrow twitch. Why did everyone think I was a boy at first? Was this going to be some run-on joke by some unseen force? _How annoying_… "–but I was quick to clear up that you're a girl. He still wants to meet you, though, just to be sure. I didn't think explaining would take so long, I'm sorry! You must have thought that you wouldn't be here long since you didn't bring an umbrella! I'm sor–!"

"Erise-chan." I cut in, pulling my hood lower, making sure to keep one arm folded, as we began to walk in the general direction of Beika hotel – the place the convention was going to be held. "It's okay. It's my fault for coming too early. There's nothing to apologize about." I reassured, feeling something squirm in my sweater. I chuckled before unzipping it a bit at the top, watching as a small, furry, head popped out almost immediately. Erise started in surprise, "H-Huh?!"

Kin turned to look at her, sniffing in her general direction before turning back to me, obviously disinterested in her. I rolled my eyes at the moody cat; why was it so rude to everyone else? He wouldn't even let Kaito touch him unless I was around. So much for being thankful to the guy who let him stay in his house. "Sorry about him." I had resorted to calling the cat a 'he', since it was just easier than always saying 'he/she'. Truthfully, I had a feeling that it was boy, but I was too embarrassed to ever check. "He's…not very good with strangers." I explained halfheartedly.

Erise peered at the black cat a bit closer, "Oh, I see. Is that the cat from last time?" She asked curiously and at my nod, continued, "Oh, that's cool! You took him in, huh? I had a feeling you wouldn't be able to resist! Even though Midori-chan acts cool and unconcerned, she's actually a really nice person!" She teased with a grin, making me blush. "W-What? You must be delusional. It just followed me all the way home, is all." I grumped, hiding my face in my upturned collar.

"_Mou_, Midori-chan~! You're such a tsundere~!" The older crowed, enjoying my torment.

In response, I only scowled and bowed my head lower so that my hood covered my burning face. I also blatantly ignored Kin's gold eyes glittering up at me in amusement.

_Darn cat_.

"But," Erise changed the subject suddenly; she tended to do that a lot. "Why is he in your sweater?" She questioned. Kin seemed to have taken a liking to her for her comment as he decided to be nice enough to not huff and look away from her gaze again. I stroked the soft fur behind his ear, earning a purr. "He's just a scaredy cat. When it started raining, he practically clawed his way into my sweater. I have the marks to prove it." I snickered, gesturing vaguely to my neck. The bandages were now gone and the bruises were almost completely gone – now only vague marks that were virtually unnoticeable – but now I had claw marks scratching down. They probably looked worse than they felt.

"Oh." She blinked in surprise. "Well, I guess it's to be expected. He's just a cat, after all." My lips lifted in a grin as Kin decided he didn't like her once more, burying his face in my neck even though my hair was still dripping. "True. For a cat, though, he's definitely brattier than usual. He's good company, despite that. And he's clingy. He wouldn't let me leave without him, so I was forced to bring him with me. Sorry about that. Animals are allowed in the hotel, right?" It would be a problem if they weren't. I had a feeling that if they didn't, it'd just end up with him in my sweater or shirt again.

"I think they do. Even if they don't, we can just sneak him in~!" She flashed me a peace sign as we approached the building of our destination. Beika hotel was a sight for sore eyes, towering over us, windows racked along the surface, giving an approximate location to the rooms in the hotel. It was also unexpectedly close to the professor's house; we'd actually passed the general direction of it on our way here.

I laughed, "Well, well, I didn't take you as a rule-breaker, Erise-chan."

"Expect the unexpected~!" She chimed and I nearly froze at the familiar line before smoothly continuing on. That's right. My eyes shifted to the ground as we approached the doors, footsteps heard over the rain clearly. In this world, it'd be best to do so. I bite my lip in thought, only looking up as we entered the warm building. Noise immediately assaulted me, washing away my contemplative mood, and making Kin gain a sour expression, ears folded to his skull in distaste.

"I told you that it'd be noisy…," I deadpanned, cradling him closer as we headed further in. I just followed Erise, not knowing where I was going. The brunette weaved through people skillfully, heading in a particular direction. It was only when we reached a middle-aged man that I realized she was taking me to her father; right, I'd almost forgot about her having to convince him. _Guhh_…I really hope animals are allowed. The man before me was tall and broad, looking very professional, not haggard like most people here. Judging by the hair, Erise had gotten her hair from her father; her eyes must have been inherited from her mother, since her father's eyes were a no-nonsense, sharp, grey hidden behind glasses frames.

Currently, his eyes were fixed on the cat half-hiding in my jacket. Shit. "E-Er," I started and his eyes darted up to my covered face. Belatedly, I realized he probably couldn't get a look at my _girl_ face since my hood was up. My hand came up and brushed down the fabric down quickly, revealing my features. His eyes seemed to soften a bit at the realization that, yes, I was a girl. "I'm Koizumi Midori. Nice to meet you. Sorry about Kin-chan. He didn't want to be left at home with my…brother. They're not very fond of each other." I winced a bit, waiting for his reaction. He was an intimidating person.

Erise smiled happily. "Oh, his name is Kin-chan? I approve! It's just like his eyes~!" Her happy gushing seemed to break the tense atmosphere that started when he had first put his eyes on me and he gave a chuckle, shocking me. The intimidating man was _laughing_! "I agree, Erise. You picked a fitting name, Koizumi-san." He praised gently, bowing slightly in greeting. "My name is Ryukaze Hisao. It is a pleasure to meet the friend Erise has been telling me about."

I hastily returned the bow, "A-Ah, it's nice to meet you, too!"

Again, he gave a light laugh, "She's as jumpy as you told me." He directed to Erise, who laughed in return. "Yeah, she's very jumpy, isn't she? Kin-chan can stay with us, right?" I straightened, shifting said cat. Her father seemed to contemplate before looking at the animal. Their eyes seemed to meet; grey on gold. It was a bit awkward, watching their staring match, before the man smiled. "He seems like a reliable fellow. He can stay, but you won't be able to play while holding him, right?" I blinked. Oh, that's right…

I flinched as Kin struggled in my grip, digging his claws into my clothing and scrambling upward to balance on my shoulder, wrapping partially around the back of my neck, tail curling up to brush gently against my cheek. His sharp nails were digging into my shoulder, but I didn't really mind. At least this way I could play and he wouldn't have to leave; a win-win situation. Hisao gave another smile, nodding. "There you go. Have fun then, kids." He ruffled Erise's hair as he passed, quickly disappearing into the crowd of people. I stared after in surprise.

"He's a nice man." I commented. Erise grinned at me as I shoved my hands in my pockets. The sweater was drying off fairly fast, returning to its original, lighter, color. "Yeah. He just seems scary at first~! It's his eyes; they're an unusual color. But, he wouldn't have a job at Mantendo if he wasn't creative." Again, she began leading me somewhere. I spotted a counter in the distance as people began to clear, heading for the games and other things.

"Oh? Has he worked on a lot of games?" I was curious about the whole 'Mantendo' thing. It was like a Gosho spin-off of Nintendo, right? Or, well, technically, it wasn't a spin-off, since it was in its own world and stuff. Huh…

"Yup! He's worked on a few horror games and he even had to work on an otome game once." She giggled and I had to holdback a full-blown laugh. A guy working on an _otome_ game?! Hah, I've seen it all! That must have been super awkward for him, I thought with no little amusement. The picture itself just looked funny in my head. "He even worked on a game that was supervised by Mouri Kogoro! It's titled 'The Great Detective Mouri Kogoro's Murder in the Mansion'." The whole detective game struck me with familiarity and I absently brushed it out of my mind. Don't even _think_ about it; that coincidence wouldn't be funny _at all_…

"Isn't that a pretty long name for it? It'd even be long abbreviated, 'TGDMKMINM'." I could have sworn Kin was laughing, if it wasn't for the fact that cat's couldn't laugh. "What's the game about, anyways?"

"The player come across a dead body in a mansion and then has to solve the case while receiving hints from the detective Mouri Kogoro, who is there by coincidence, too." Well, well. _Speaking of coincidences_…

"That seems like an interesting game." "My dad said it turned out really nicely! Supposedly, Mouri Kogoro is supposed to be here, too. He's the guest of honor, of sorts!" We reached the counter that we had been heading for; the sign above it read 'cloak'. The woman at the desk smiled when we reached it. Erise gave a smile in return, handing the umbrella over to the woman. I waited next to Erise as the woman handed the umbrella to her co-worker, who then went to put it in the back. I saw it was filed away in a cubby.

I stiffened as a shadow loomed over us, suddenly feeling cold all over. I'm pretty sure my face paled and Kin seemed to sense my mood as he turned to hiss lowly at the person behind us. I didn't bother stopping him, though I did hear an irritated grunt from behind us. The woman at the desk handed Erise a small token with the number 123 written on it. "This is your numbered token." The woman said and Erise thanked her before pulling me over in the direction of the games.

As I was pulled around the corner, I could have sworn that I could a glance of a tall, tanned man in black clothing, but, again, I carefully disregarded it.

ooOOoo

The game room was packed and suffocating. I didn't voice my complaining, though, deciding not to be a kill-joy. Kin wasn't as cooperative, digging his nails into my skin and being a brat more than usual. He wouldn't even let me play a game for a long amount of time, lest he use his tail to tickle my nose again. I really didn't feel like sneezing again, thank you very much. Erise just seemed amused by his endeavors, even when he would give her a petulant look very similar to the one on my face at the moment. I was watching Erise play a shooting game, but my mind was wandering off to unpleasant thoughts.

Kogoro, Ran, and Conan were here. There was a game Kogoro had supervised, which was being explained in a different room at the moment – I heard it was like a meeting of sorts. Conan was here. A game convention for Mantendo. Did I mention the fact that Conan was here? If he was here, then could it be possible that I just walked into a very…sensitive case? Did I seriously have that bad of luck or was it because I've been hanging out with Kin a lot lately?

With a sigh, I watched as Erise's screen was covered with the large words of 'YOU LOSE'. I quickly masked my anxious feelings with a grin as I headed over to the pouting teen, ignoring the stares I'd been getting for a while. Geez, you'd think they'd never seen anyone with a black cat on their shoulder before. "Oh well. Not everyone is adapt at shooting a gun." I tried and she merely shot me a brooding glare. "Gee, thanks." "No problem."

She brightened as she spotted something behind me, proceeding to drag me there quickly. Usually, I would be angry at someone pulling me around, but since it was Erise, I put aside the need to free myself from her grasp. We stopped in front of a machine with a punching pad in front of it, the screen waiting. A guy in an orange shirt suddenly punched, hitting the pad with a dull thud. The man beside him, who was wearing an official suit, with glasses started to talk to him.

"So close! If you pass 250, it flashes even more brilliantly." The wimpier man stated. I'm guessing they worked for the company Mantendo, as well, if they knew that. The man turned to face another guy at another game. Erise was patient, waiting beside me. She was probably willing to let the people have their fun first and then she'd try to get a higher score than all of them. "Hey, Nakajima, why don't you try this one?" The man with curly brown hair headed over with an affirmative, taking off his suit jacket on the way.

He handed his jacket to the wimpy man as he passed, heading for the machine. "Ah…It looks like Nakajima-san's is going to try." Ran's familiar voice jolted me out of my absent watching and my eyes flashed to where her and Conan were standing next to the wimpy man. _When the hell'd they get there?!_

Ninjas. They're both ninjas…

The Nakajima dude poised to punch before slugging the pad, the thud a bit louder than the other man's in the orange shirt. People around gave 'oh's of admiration as the screen displayed a flashing '348'. "Oh, he's not bad." Erise murmured to me, impressed. "Wow! Have you done something like this before?" Ran gushed excitedly, hands clasped together. Nakajima took his coat back from the wimpy – you know, I'm just gonna call him glasses from now on – guy, preening a bit. "I used to box a little when I was in university."

Glasses took the boxing glove from Nakajima, offering it to Ran. "Would you like to try it, too, Ran-san?" Ran put her hands up in the universal sign of surrender, "Not me, thanks. But, the girl over there seems to want to play it." She smiled kindly, gesturing to Erise who was practically beaming at the offer to finally play. I held back a grin, suddenly feeling nervous as eyes focused on the two of us. I saw Conan give me a curious look once he spotted the cat on my shoulder and I internally cursed Kin. Great, now he was curious!

"Oh, well then, would you like to go next?" Glasses asked, handing the glove over to Erise, who nodded happily. "Thank you." She said before turning to the machine. I watched in interest as she got into a fighting stance before dealing out the blow to the pad. It hit with a thud similar to the Nakajima guy's. The screen flashed brightly; '356'. I snickered into my fist, realizing she hit harder than the guys before. I quickly covered it with a cough as Conan's sharp eyes darted up to me in bemusement.

Kin bared his teeth at the small detective before I flicked his ear gently. "Hey, be nice. That's a main character, right there." I whispered, just loud enough for Kin to hear me. Over the week, I'd learned that I felt much better confiding in my cat than in Akako. So, now, despite it probably not understanding a word I've been saying, it now knew about the whole dimension thing and the fact that we were currently living in a world called Detective Conan.

Kin glanced at me with his sharp, gold, eyes before turning away to brood about not being able to hiss at Conan. Good, at least he wouldn't draw much more attention to me. It was overwhelming to be here, right in front of Ran and Conan, in Midori's form. What if he figures me out? Erise handed the glove to Ran cheerfully, "Here, you should try it, too. It's good for relieving stress!" Ran had looked ready to reject the offer before the stress tidbit. "Stress?" She blinked before taking the glove and fitting it onto her hand. Erise came back to stand by my side as Ran poised to strike.

Her face was a bit scary at the moment as she finally let loose her punch, yelling out, "Hurry up and come home, _Shinichi_!" In the corner of my eye, I could see said Heisei Holmes reel back with a flinch, face worried. The screen flashed out colorfully. _'400'_.

_Four-freakin'-hundred_. I gave an impressed whistle as Erise and the rest around gaped in shock and astonishment. She must have a _lot_ of pent up stress about that certain issue. Subconsciously, I sent a sympathetic grin down to Conan, who wasn't paying any attention to me. Still, this situation was very risky. Maybe I should just leave…

"Erise-chan, I'll be in the bathroom, if you need me." I told her scarcely, making my way around the people easily. "A-Ah, Midori-chan, you don't want me to hold Kin-chan for you?" She questioned, voice drowned out a bit in the buzz of the surrounding smiling faces.

Ran's voice was heard vaguely, "Do you want to try, Conan-kun?" I almost laughed, since he would probably only get, like, a 20 in his current form. Well, unless he kicked it with his power shoes, then I'd think he'd completely beat even Ran with it, but he wouldn't even _reach_ it at the moment. He was too _short_. "No, I'm good. Kin-chan is a brat, anyways. He'll probably scratch you before running off after me. Isn't that right, Kin-chan?" I called to my companion as I took my lazy time to walk away, and Kin responded with licking my cheek in agreement. I could hear Erise's laugh disappear as I turned around the corner.

Unfortunately, my lame attempt at escape was ruined as Conan and the Nakajima guy rounded the corner to join me on my bathroom hunt. Shoot. I kept my eyes on the floor, careful not to make eye contact with either. "If I remember correctly, the bathroom is…," Nakajima trailed, when suddenly a shadow loomed over me and before any of us could react, we bumped head on with the larger person. Black clouded my vision as I stumbled back to fall onto my backside, careful not to squish the smaller Conan.

"Ow! That hurt…" Conan muttered, rubbing his bottom next to me. We all looked up simultaneously. My immediate reaction was to apologize to the person – my mouth poised open – but then once I got a look at the person I'd bumped into, my reaction was to hide, cower, or run away like a scared rabbit. My body would do neither, though, so I continued to stare up at the man. His black outfit only seemed darker under the fluorescent lights shining down, casting a shadow over the small area all of us were in, and I noticed he was holding a briefcase in his left hand. A lefty, then, I noted absently under my internal screaming. His tanned skin was familiar, as was his face.

_Tequila. _

The name was shouting in my mind, loud and clear. The answer I'd been running from was now in front of me and I couldn't deny anything anymore. For just a moment, my brown eyes met his cold, black, ones and I could have sworn the world stopped. My heart was beating too fast, feeling like it had lodged in my throat and was trying to bludgeon its way out of my chest; my breath shallow before it reversed to erratic. And suddenly the moment was broken as he continued on without apologizing, leaving me stunned and cold – adrenaline flowing into my bloodstream.

My hand automatically grasped the loose skin on Kin's neck gently as he hopped off my shoulder, about to pursue the dangerous man. He seemed irritated by my actions before noticing my pale face and wandering closer to my side for comfort; my mood had probably transferred. "Does he work for the game company as well?" Conan broke my train of thought, startling me into taking a shaky breath. He was gone now, calm down…

"I don't know. I've never seen him before." Nakajima said. _Liar._ The case that had been surfaced at the back of my mind was now rearing its evil head and supplying me with helpful details of said case. Nakajima knew the man very well, if I recall. My mouth closed from its gape as the two turned to me after they got up, curious as to why I hadn't gotten up yet. "Are you okay?" Conan asked with masked childish concern. I blinked, Kin staring out at the two from in the shadows of my arms.

"U-Uh…Yeah. I-I'm okay…," Was I? There was only so much a certain person could take. Had I reached my limit? That was such a short time limit, I mused. Then again, there's no real reason to panic, since Tequila would be dead soon, either way. I almost felt bad for thinking that way, but he was technically a bad guy while technically, he went much more peaceful than he could have gone and he skipped getting put in jail the rest of his life. It's kind of like he dodged a bullet. …But got mixed with the crash course of an explosive time bomb…

Grimacing, I finally scooped Kin up and stood up slowly. "Are you sure, oneesan? You look awfully pale." He commented, sharp blue eyes taking in my features swiftly. Guh, right. Conan – _Shinichi _– is right here. _Focus_! "Y-Yes, I'm sure. My stomach just feels a bit ill is all." I muttered, "Thank you for your concern." With a quick bow, I dashed off to the women's' bathroom. Once behind the closed doors, I checked under every stall door, making sure there were no shoes in sight, before I ran into the nearest stall, the door banging lightly behind me.

I leaned against the wall of the stall, splayed on the floor, staring at the other in front of me, trying to regulate my breath. Don't hyperventilate, I told myself. Digging into my bag, my shaky fingers pried the top off of a water bottle I had brought along and I swallowed some thickly, feeling as if something was lodged into my throat. Kin batted at my hand as I choked, coughing out the remaining water, splashing my sweater again and leaving darker patches. "…I-I'm okay…K-Kin-chan…,"

My reassurance didn't seem to reassure him, as he kept staring at me with his too-intelligent eyes. I didn't bother going for another drink of water, capping it again and tossing it back into my bag. I dug through it, spotting my 'Detective Conan Log' and flipping through all the worn, written-on, pages to a fresh, clean, one. It was full of the adventures that I'd been on through the first day to now – anxieties and worries; memories and fun times; little quirks I'd figured out about certain characters. It was my life in writing, plain and simple. It was a bit of a flight-hazard, so to say, but it was always on me; whether it is in my school bag or my regular bag.

The date was scrawled onto the corner of the page with trembling handwriting, and I jotted down my current situation, making a small note in the middle of the page, saying that I'd add more at the bottom once the whole affair was over. My hands stuffed the notebook back into the bag with all the other loose sheets of paper filled with words and garbled numbers in various colors. To anyone else, it'd look like complete nonsense. But, to a nonsense speaker like me, it made perfect sense to the plot and events I wouldn't miss and things I'd avoid. I knew that on one of those papers, it told me to avoid the Game Company Murder Case. _So much for that_…

Exhaling a loud sigh, I jumped when the door to the bathroom opened. "Midori-chan, are you in here?" Erise's voice echoed in the tiled room and I relaxed reflexively. Damn it, now I was jumpier than usual. _Greaattt…_ "Er…Yeah, I'm in here…," I called back, voice slightly hoarse from choking earlier. Gathering my wits again, I swallowed before standing on now-steady legs and then opening the door to my stall. Erise came into view quickly, being the only other person in the room at the moment.

I walked out of the stall, a sheepish blush on my cheeks. "Sorry, was I taking too long?" I scratched the back of my neck nervously – how much time had passed? – and she shook her head. "No, it's not that. I was just worried, is all. You seemed a bit frightened before when we were leaving the cloak desk and you've been acting strange." Obviously, I wasn't as great as an actress as I thought I was, if she was seeing right through my act. Then again, I'd only been trying half-heartedly, so maybe it was just my lack-of-effort coming back to bite me in the butt for being such a lazy, moody, person today.

"O-Oh." With a warm smile, I ruffled her hair as I passed, heading out of the bathroom easily now. "Sorry for worrying you. I'll be fine now. There was just something I needed to confirm…," An idea – a stupid idea – suddenly popped into my mind, but I couldn't back it down. It could be useful in the future, so I just had to. "I may need to leave a bit early today, though. Not anything majorly, but perhaps." I grinned at her over my shoulder as she followed after me as we headed out into the hall again.

She looked like she wanted to question me more, but dropped it with a pout. "Okay, but you have to repay me by getting me some juice." She smiled cheerfully and I chuckled. "Okay, will do. You can head back to the games. I'll be there soon." She nodded, rounding the corner with a skip in her step. Once she was gone my grin turned a bit feral – manic – and I picked up Kin, letting him claw up to my shoulders again.

"What a coincidence that we happened to be here, huh, Kin-chan?" I murmured, smirking to myself as I headed to the vending machines I'd seen earlier when passing by.

'_Expect the unexpected', was it? _

I couldn't really tell if this was good or bad luck, but I'd gamble on both at once, if the chance upturned.

ooOOoo

"Are you looking for a beating, brat?!"

I heard a dull thud and scowled, remembering what had happened. The _jerk_, Tequila, had probably just kicked Conan. He was, apparently, one of those people who didn't care if it was a _child_ that they were kicking, as long as no one got in their way. What a complete and utter…Black Organization member. I obviously couldn't come up with a better retort.

Rounding the corner, coins jingling the pocket of my sweater, I grinned down at the disgruntled Conan, who was watching Tequila walk away. My sharp eyes caught sight of the small tracking device on the bottom of his right shoes and I held back a snicker. Conan seemed to notice my presence, looking up with wary eyes. It looked like he wanted to just continue following the man in black. I shuffled around his prone form, going to the drinks and putting several yen through the slot, browsing the drink choices in a show of disinterest.

"Fancy seeing you here. We seem to have a habit of bumping into each other." I commented, finger hesitating between yuzu juice and orange juice before pressing the later. I didn't know what yuzu juice was, but it _sounded_ good. The can dropped into the receiver with a metallic thud and I took it out easily, smiling back at Conan who still looked like he was having an internal debate. "You can go have your fun. Be careful~!" With that, he gave me a hasty, polite, goodbye before dashing off in Tequila's direction.

I glanced down at the canned juice in my hand, noting the strange-looking grapefruit on the bottle's decoration. Shrugging, I couldn't help but toss it up in the heat of the moment, before stuffing it in hoodie's pocket. Sorry, Erise, but something is just about to explode… Surely you won't miss me that much.

I began a leisurely pace down the same way the shrunken Heisei Holmes went, feeling a bit guilty about leaving her hanging, but wanting to see if I could get any information from the whole endeavor. I blinked before snatching my phone from my back pocket, flipping it open with ease. My fingers clumsily moved along the keys. _'I have something to attend to really quick. Sorry. I have your juice, though, so I'll give it to you when I come back.'_

My pace slowed as I waited for her reply and, as usual, it came superfast. She had text hands, alright. _'Okay, but you owe more compensation. ;P' _

Nodding to myself with a smile, I clicked it shut again and stuffed it back in my back pocket. It must have been perfect timing, too, because suddenly, a large explosion wracked through the hall. The walls trembled with the force and I was surprised to see smoke and ash coming from the corner at the end, so much closer than I had thought. Disregarding that fact, flashing Kin a signal to hold on tight, and then I was off in the direction of the explosion.

Arriving just after, I saw Conan dart into the mist of black smoke, disappearing temporarily from my sight. Kin didn't seem to like the thought of going closer to the carnage, but stuck to me like glue as I did just that, engulfing myself into the speedily disappearing cloud of smoke. I held back a cough as it assaulted my senses. "H-Hey! Kids!" A man called out from behind us. I only briefly glanced back, recognizing Glasses and two of the others – Nakajima and another man – in the background. Both Conan and I probably looked out of place in the midst of the chaos, but this was just the dawn of the Black Organization, before things got even worse.

"Little boy, young lady, it's dangerous here." Glasses said, kneeling next to Shinichi, who was observing Tequila's shoe. "Quickly, outside!" He directed to both of us, but I merely ignored him in favor for watching Conan with a slightly sinister grin.

Said boy pounded his fist to the ground in frustration, a frightening look glittering in his eyes; one of a man on the hunt who had just lost his prey. His thoughts were nearly tangible in the air and my eyes narrowed in interest, disregarding the fact that I probably looked mad, grinning in my current scenery.

I oddly felt like I was playing one, big, massive, game of chess.

_Game, set…_

ooOOoo

"Terrorists?" Megure asked the forensic team that was surveying the big hole in the wall. The police had finally arrived, called in by one of the men from Mantendo. I was currently stuck there as a witness, not to leave until the whole mess was cleaned up. It was annoying, but I supposed it was my own fault. I _had_ decided to come here, after all.

"We think an explosive device was attached to the toilet door or something." One of the men answered in affirmative. "Hm…A random murder?" Megure inquired skeptically. "There was one victim." "I suppose we don't know his identity?" Megure guessed with a sigh, receiving his reply from another forensic, "Well, it's a real mess…," Somehow, the discretely gruesome comment didn't affect me much. It probably had something to do with the fact that I wasn't actually seeing anyone's dead body; an interesting thing to note.

The inspector turned to us all. "Did you see any suspicious people?" He questioned. Ah, here begins the interrogation…

"W-Well, no." Glasses stuttered out. "I didn't see anyone." Nakajima replied. "I know!" Conan called out, gaining the attention from all the others. I noticed a cut on his cheek for the first time and my brows furrowed as I dug my hand into my bag. If I remember correctly… "I saw the person who died."

"R-Really, Conan-kun?!"

"He was a really big guy!" He moved his hand up to emphasize his words and I found myself nodding in agreement. Tequila was a tall man – like, really, _really_, tall. "I think he was from the Kansai area. Oh, I think both this oneesan and Nakajima-san saw him, too." Conan elaborated and I found the attention then shifted onto Nakajima and I. "What?" The Mantendo worker asked. "The enormous guy we ran into in the lobby."

Nakajima's face became paler as he gave a strained smile, "A-Ah, yes, him." The inspector's face turned to me for confirmation. "Yeah, I remember 'im. Clad in all black, you'd think he was part of the yakuza or something." I joked, enjoying the way Conan frowned in contemplation. Megure nodded before looking down at Conan once more, "You think he's from Kansai?" Conan turned back to the inspector, "Before he died, I heard him say inside the bathroom stall, 'what's this? It doesn't fit. Huh? It's already open?' with a Kansai accent. He must have been talking about the toilet door, right?"

I crouched to Conan's side as the inspector continued, "If that's so, the explosive device might have been planted near the toilet door." A new voice interrupted, but I paid no mind, grinning at Conan as I produced a band aid from my bag. "Here you go, detective-san~! Just so that your cut doesn't get infected." I placed the band aid on his cheek gently and he blinked before giving me a slight smile, "Thank you, oneesan." I held back a shudder. How weird was it to be called 'oneesan' instead of 'Koizumi' by him? _Really weird._

"No problem." I answered before standing out of my crouch to look at the Mantendo boss that had just entered the room. "Boss?!" The employees were shocked by his appearance. "Boss?" Megure asked. "Yes, I'm Ishikawa, president of Mantendo." The boss began to open his briefcase. He took out a slip of paper. "The fact is, I received a strange letter three days ago." The inspector took the letter, taking out the contents to see it with a thoughtful hum of, "A strange letter…,"

"T-This is a threat!" He exclaimed, reading the words on the paper. "Why didn't you come to the police with this?" He questioned indignantly.

"I'm sorry...," The president of the company muttered, "I thought it was just hate mail." Before the two's conversation could continue, an officer interrupted, "Inspector, I found this in the rubble." The officer handed the inspector the two objects. "This is a key, but what's this round thing?" Megure wondered, gazing at the items.

"Oh, that would be my company's emblem." The boss showed off the emblem on the rim of his case and I saw Conan stare at it thoughtfully. While Conan was lost in his thoughts, the inspector turned to me. I blinked, wondering why his expression was so intense. "You're also from the Kansai area, right? You speak with Osaka-ben." He noted and I felt a bead of sweat roll down my neck. Oi, oi, was my accent – inherited only because it was the first place I was at as Midori – really going to turn me into a _suspect_? I was just a – relatively – innocent bystander.

"U-Uh, yeah. I'm from Osaka." I nodded, coming up with a story on the spot. "May I have your name?" The inspector continued and I gave a nervous little grin, feeling incredibly awkward, not bothering to stop Kin from baring his teeth at all that came too close for his comfort. "Yes. I-It's–" My eyes flashed to Conan. Darn it, I couldn't use Koizumi in front of him, least he put the dots together! "–Watanabe Midori." I finally finished, remembering the alternative name Akako had come up with.

Internally, I cheered. Thank you, Akako-sama!

Megure nodded at the answer before going back to examining the bent Mantendo emblem. "It must have had an amazing force, though; this metal is bent out of shape." He commented, impressed. I watched as Conan had a revelation in his mind before he dashed out of the room. I smirked, looking over to the inspector. "May I go somewhere? I have an important meeting." The inspector gave me a dark glare, as if I was going to try to run away. "Don't worry, I promise I'll be back. Here, I'll even let you hold onto my cellphone. Besides, I have a friend here, so I'll be back, promise!" I begged.

He stared at me a while longer before sighing and nodding, "Okay, but be back, or I'll have your arrest warrant out tomorrow morning." He warned. Truthfully, I don't think he thought I did it since I was still only thirteen. What thirteen year old knows how to make bombs, any–well…

Putting that thought in my mind, I thanked him enthusiastically and promised to be back before dashing out of the room and out of the hotel, taking Kin from my shoulder to hold him properly as I put my hood up. It wasn't exactly needed anymore, since the light rain had since dissipated, but it was more to cover my face than anything. And if I remember the hotel correctly…

…_Start. _

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – Yup, a new chapter~! 8D (Laughs) Yeah, I had fun writing that part. XDD I was practically thinking the same thing. XD And yup – Ran and Kogoro! Thank you~! Here's the next chapter! ^^ (Turns good luck into more tokens and puts them in slot machine) XD **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Haha, I'm more of a dog person myself, too, but I saw Alice/Midori with a cat, for some reason. XDD I guess it just fits her personality a bit better. I'm glad you still want to pet him despite you not being a cat person~! XD (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! And **_**Kagome, Kagome**_** is a child's game you play by having a person sitting in the middle with their eyes closed and covered with their hands and the kids spin around the person with their hands linked, singing a song. They continue spinning until the song is over and then the person in the middle has to guess who is behind them. Based on Shinichi's personality, I'm pretty sure that he'd be good at it and it was also, somewhat, referring to the vocaloid song **_**Kagome, Kagome**_** which changes your point of view on the usually cheerful children's game to a scarier, darker, base. (That was a bad explanation, I hope it made sense. XDD) **

**To: roxifoxi – (Laughs) Yes, strange feelings about Kin-chan are very well-earned, for good reason~! XD I had a feeling it was you, but I wasn't positive. The writing style was the same, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. XD Codenames rule~! (High Fives) (Another High Five for Mythology Nerdy-ness) XD Athena is awesome! 8DDD She's one of my favorite goddesses. ^^ Haha, I guess it isn't a bad thing to want to check a cat's gender, out of pure curiosity, as long as your mind is out of the gutter. XD;; And who knows? You'll have to see~! 8D (Loves dodging questions) **

**-I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing. For some reason, I feel like it came out weird… ^^;;; **


	29. Game Company Murder Case (Part 2)

**A/N: Whoo! The second half of this case and it's shorter than usual, but meh. XD It's still decently sized and goes through all the things with this case. I had a bit of a hard time, since Conan thinks **_**wayyy**_** too much in that episode – 54, for anyone curious. XD – and yeah. (Nods) Anyways, hope you enjoy! ^^ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama, but I own her father. **

Chapter Twenty Nine

The run to Daikoku building was somewhat far, but it wasn't too far or straining when adrenaline was filling your system. My breath came out in labored huffs and finally, my building of destination came into view. It loomed, several floors were noticeable from the windows visible. I hurried to the entrance, easily going up the stairs before the door before getting into the building. There, at the entrance, I paused to catch my breath, feeling myself sweating. I didn't dare take off my hoodie, though, in fear that there was maybe already a Black Org member around. It just wouldn't do to flaunt my face around.

Once my breath was regular, I headed to the front desk slightly faster than a regular pace. No one seemed to notice, thank goodness. "Um, where's the bar, Cocktail?" I asked, before quickly adding, "My dad told me he'd be there. I need to pick something up from him." My mouth curved into a sweet smile, hoping she would believe me. Despite the hood, it was easy to tell I was underage to drink, let alone be in a bar. The woman eyed me for a moment before giving me a smile, "It's on the twentieth floor, to the right side."

"Thanks."

Nodding my head to the woman, I headed to the elevator, quickly pressing the button to the twentieth floor before anyone could join me in it. The doors shut gently and the floor jolted before I started ascending. I glanced behind me, mesmerized by the view of the ground slowly growing further away. It was quiet for a while before I turned back to the front, to watch the doors. They were surrounded by a shade of gold paint and I chuckled to myself.

"Hey, Kin-chan, do you think we'll find anything valuable?" I hummed, rocking on my heels, knowing I wouldn't get a reply.

After a while, the elevator finally chimed, announcing my arrival. I held my breath as I walked out of the elevator shaft, almost expecting an explosion already. I waited a moment before releasing a large sigh. Stupid, the explosion wouldn't occur yet. It'd happen when Conan rushed to the tops of the building for evidence – I still had quite some time; I'd seen this episode enough times to gauge the right time percentage. Glancing to my right, I started in that direction, scanning the signs of the places.

Almost immediately, one sign had 'COCKTAIL BAR' written on it elegantly. My brows furrowed in distaste as I tried to peer into the blacked-out windows. Nothing. I couldn't see through them. Frustration filled my chest before I decided to just go for it – with my hand poised, I pushed the door open and strode in confidently. The bell on the door jingled at my arrival. Goodness, I hope no one stops me for being under aged…

The bar was small and the lighting was dim, giving off a classical – but somewhat mysterious – vibe to the whole place. There was some tables off to the side and the whole left of the bar was filled with several alcoholic beverages. Bottles of brandy, whiskey, vodka, gin, and beer racked the shelves connected to the wall, all the way up to the low ceiling; the actual bar right in front of it, a bartender behind it. The smell of cigarettes and liquor filled the air, making me feel out of place. This definitely wasn't the type of atmosphere welcoming to a kid like me; I wasn't a delinquent, after all.

I made my way over to the bar counter, sliding into one of the nearby stools. The bartender focused on me with a stern glare and I felt a bead of sweat roll down my neck. _Haha… _"Not much customers, huh?" I began, eyes scanning the room. Now that I thought about it, nobody was here. That was a bit strange, I mused. "Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could offer me some information about two particular customers." My smile was a bit strained, trying to keep as possible. I just wasn't a polite person by nature, I think.

The bartender raised a brow, "So you aren't here to drink, kid?" I chuckled, waving my hand in denial. "No, no. I don't drink, I'm too young to." The man stared at me for a moment, eyes darting over to Kin for a moment, before focusing once more on me. He opened his mouth to speak, "What two customers?" I barely kept a grin at bay. _Bingo~!_

"A big, darker skinned, man, about yay-big." My hand came up to the appropriate height, "He speaks Kansai-ben, like me, and his companion was a shorter, lighter skinned, man with short curly brown hair." I described and watched the man's eyes spark with knowledge. Good, he knew them. "Yeah, I know the two." He started, beginning to shine a wine glass. My eyebrow twitched. I could feel a 'but' coming on here. True to my suspicions, the next words were, "But…Why do you need to know about them?" His voice was questioning, slightly muffled as he chewed on tobacco (_at the moment I realized that, I felt the need to turn tail and run away; this bartender was getting kind of shady ((both him and his questions))_).

My tongue clicked against the roof of my mouth and I leaned on my fist, resting my elbow on the counter. My eyes were drawn to the door, wondering if someone was going to come soon. Maybe I could just slip out when the bartender was busy. But, no such luck yet. Damn. "It might be hard to believe, but the big guy is my dad. I'm checking out all his associates, since my mother thinks he's cheating." The white lie slipped off my tongue easily and I nearly choked with laughter. Me and my big mouth when it comes to intense situations; my first reaction is either _run_ or _lie_ – how sad.

The man smiled wickedly, as if he had caught me. I returned it with a bored look, feeling myself tense. "If your mother thinks he's cheating, shouldn't you be checking all his _female_ companions?" His tone was irritating and Kin hissed at him, now back on my shoulder since I wasn't running like a maniac anymore. My lips curved into a smirk, giving him a pointed look. "Who says my dad has only _one_ preference?" The look on my face was sly and devious, just a tad suggesting and I saw the man almost choke on his tobacco before he turned to regain his composure. The tobacco was spit out into the garbage. A moment later, he turned back to me.

"…I see." He swallowed thickly. "W-Well, they didn't seem to be _that_ type of associates. You father was always talking in a low tone about some list of computer programmers. They'd meet up here, have a drink, and talk about available dates. To tell the truth, they were both kind of shady." He finally let the information go and I nodded to myself. Okay, nothing I didn't already know. I grinned at him, "Thanks, you've been a big help!"

He nodded, finally placing the thoroughly cleaned wine glass back down on the smooth countertop. "Anything else you need, kid?"

I bite my lip, wondering if I could get him to leave the bar. I didn't want him to become molecule dust, after all, and this place was set to blow. Truthfully, I didn't know if the bomb was set yet, either. For all I knew, the bomb could be ticking away right next to us. …Well. Wasn't that a disturbing thought? _Stop freaking yourself out!_ "Erm, not really... _Ah!_" I suddenly yelped, pointing behind him to the rows and rows of alcohol. My hand swiftly made its way into my bag, searching for the cool touch of a hairspray can. When the man was searching for whatever had 'startled' me, back turned to me, my hand grasped the metal can.

"You're a really nice person, despite your suspicious demeanor…" I trailed and the man blinked before turning back to me, only to get a quick spray of sleeping gas in his face, courtesy of the hairspray can. He took in a surprised breath before his eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground with a loud thud, head lolling to the side. "…So, sorry for being so rough with you." I apologized halfheartedly, even though he couldn't hear me anymore. With no haste, I put the can back into my bag, got up from my stool and hurried around the bar counter, kneeling beside him.

Kin gave me a _look_, one that obviously translated into something like '_why the heck did you knock him out?_'. My grin was sheepish as I grabbed the man's arm and hulled him up to rest against my shoulder, getting ready to drag him out of the room. "How else was I supposed to get him out of here, Kin-chan? 'Oh, also, you may want to leave your bar, if you don't want to die'?" I retorted, weighed down by the heavier man. I blinked as I spotted a family photo in the corner of the bar, the bartender in the picture with a little girl on his lap and who – I'm assuming – was his wife, sitting next to him. They all looked really happy…

Groaning, I deadpanned. Damn it… "Kin-chan, get the photo." My chin jerked to said picture and Kin jumped onto the counter, sauntering over and knocking it right off the table. I hurried to catch and gave him a glare for good measure before putting the picture into my bag. "Okay, let's go." With that said, I braced myself to stand with the man's weight, but before I could, a sound stopped me short.

The bell on the door jingled, announcing another arrival.

Well, shoot.

_Couldn't I ever make a clean getaway? _

Startled, the man slipped from my grip and hit the floor once more, making little noise. I held my breath and got on my knees, crawling over to the opening edge of the counter that was currently concealing me, Kin, and the sleeping, unaware, bartender. If it had been the time for it, I would have joked about it being a disgrace to sleep on the job, but now wasn't _exactly_ the right time for that. I poked my head from the side to check who it was and sucked in a silent, sharp, breath as I quickly hid behind the counter again.

Black coat, black hat, sinister demeanor.

_Yeaahhh_…I definitely wasn't getting that clean getaway.

"Hm. There's nobody hear." His voice was gruff, but there was an underlying sound that gave away that he was talking like that on purpose. He probably actually had a pretty smooth voice, but wanted to sound more manly. My heart jumped as he walked closer, boots thudding on the floor noisily. I huddled closer to the counter, trying to become one with it, while I pulled the man a bit closer, as well. Kin stayed where he was, obviously not frightened of the approaching _Black Organization member_. I swear, for an animal, he had _no_ survival instinct. _At all._

"Oh well, makes my job easier, I guess." He continued to speak to himself. I was getting the feeling that this guy was, either, a new member or a complete amateur. He just had this kind of clumsiness about him; talking to himself, his clothes, heck, his _voice_! Not lingering on the details, though, I waited for him to move. All I could do was hope and pray that he didn't come behind the counter and spot us three indiscrete people. My hand inched into my bag and I once again grabbed the can of sleeping gas. Just in case, I thought to myself.

A stool squeaked, telling me he had taken a seat and I grinned to myself. Sounds of metal clacking and the smell of gunpowder filled the silent room. I don't know how long I just sat there, pressed against the counter, but suddenly, he stood. "There we go. This should destroy the whole place." He chuckled deeply – again, imitating a deeper voice he didn't have naturally – and there was a brief _click_ noise before the sound of ticking resounded. The bomb was set.

His shoes thudded, about to disappear out the door, but they suddenly stopped. I heard him give another deep laugh before his shoes thudded closer. Shit. "For my good work, I will reward myself with some booze." I rolled my eyes in a panicked frenzy. I was going to get caught because of _alcohol_ by an organization that has _alcoholic codenames_! The world must be playing some cosmic joke on me! This just wasn't fair!

I bit my lip harshly, my eyes screwed shut tightly.

_I don't want to die…!_

My hope of surviving was dwindling as he got closer and closer and finally, he turned the corner, obvious by the startled sound that came from the next to me. I curled into myself, waiting for something – anything – to happen to me, when suddenly I felt a wind breeze past me. "_What the he_–!" He shouted, but he was cut off, starting to give a girlish high-pitched scream. My eyes stayed close for a minute of silence, disturbed the shout had been cut off. Building up my courage, I swallowed thickly before peeking over my arms.

There the man lay, knocked out on the wood floor of the bar, his head bleeding a bit from a wound. Shocked, I wandered closer, wondering what happened, before checking his pulse. An steady beat met my touch and I sighed in relief. Good, he wasn't dead. But…what happened to him? I glanced around quickly, looking for any other assailants, seeing none in sight. I just stood there for a moment, shocked, and then I crouched next to him. My finger poked his cheek, a Cheshire grin spreading across my face.

"He's out _cold_, Kin-chan~" I crowed happily, my hands beginning to raid his pockets. If he had something on him, it could be useful information. My hands had come across cigarette packs, a lighter, and his wallet – which I had rummaged through, only to figure out that he didn't have an ID and nothing useful – and I almost rejoiced when my hands brushed against something hard and square. Slowly, I pulled it out of the inner pocket of his jacket, revealing the edge more and more.

When it was revealed, I almost felt like stuffing it back into the jacket. A black CD was put neatly into its coverless case. Written in black sharpie, handwriting scraggly, on the cover was **NOCs**. NOC. Non-official cover. My eyes darted to the man's unkempt face. Why did he have something like this? Something _so obvious_ to his affiliation with the organization. I deadpanned. Yup, definitely an amateur, but not a newbie. They would _never _give a newbie this information. With his personality, I'm surprised they gave it to him at all.

Not one to linger on an enemy's personal effect, though, I brought it closer and unzipped my sweater, stuffing it into the hidden pocket there. Truth be told, my favorite feature of this certain sweater was the hidden pocket; it was the only sweater that I had with one and I was glad I had worn it today. It kind of made me feel like a spy. "Is this your insurance? Sorry, but I'll be taking it~!" I smirked down at the man, unrepentant, before taking a look at the ticking time bomb on the counter. I still had time to move the bodies and get back to the hotel before it exploded. Good.

I hurried to the bartender, heaving him up and dragging him across the bar to the door. I poked my head out to make sure no one was there before going out and dragging him further down the hall, to a place safe enough. He slumped against the wall, looking a bit uncomfortable, but I didn't bother to fix his position. Heading back into the bar, I saw Kin-chan batting at the Black Organization member's arm playfully. Well, seems we had the same opinions on the guy now.

He was definitely just a loser, living a life of bum crime.

Sighing, I heaved him up, arms under both of his armpits and his legs dragged across the wood floor as I took him out of the bar, the brighter light assaulted my eyes once more. Staying in a dim place for so long really did its toll. I dragged him to the other side of the hall, putting him and the bartender at opposite ends, just in case. Who knows if Blackie would go bat crazy when he woke up, right?

I dropped him rather unceremoniously to the ground (_I may or may not have huffed, "Be thankful I didn't leave you in there…jerk."_) before heading back to the bar, where Kin still was. My head peeped into the room and I beckoned the black cat over with a wave, "Come on, Kin-chan. We should probably get back to Erise-chan." He ran over, latching onto my arm with his claw and crawling skillfully back up to my shoulder. Okay, then, all that's left is…

Glancing around the dim, empty, bar once more and taking a long look at the bomb on the counter, I finally grabbed the sign hanging on the door, turning it from the 'OPEN' side to 'CLOSED'. With that, I closed the door behind me and passing the bartender, dug into my bag and gave him his photo back. Feeling like my job was done, I headed back into the elevator, pressing the 'lobby' button. The door dinged as it closed with a finalistic click.

ooOOoo

I walked back into the Beika hotel, spotting Erise within the crowd. She, apparently, had spotted me first, already walking over to me, despite the deduction already going on. She smiled at me, "You're back. Where'd you go?" She questioned curiously and I grinned nervously, scratching my cheek. "Ah, it was nowhere important. I just needed to run an errand, is all." She pouted at my vague answer, "There you go again with your secrecy. I swear, if I didn't know better, you'd be a secret agent working on a mission." She whined.

I laughed, slinging an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, don't worry~! If I was a secret agent, I'd be dead by now." Not completely untrue.

Kin skillfully stayed on one shoulder, sniffing at my hair, and we wandered to the back of the group, listening in to the deduction. "…making it difficult to swap tokens unnoticed. That's why Takeshita-san cut in between me and Ran. He wanted to get a 90-something number like Nakajima-san." Kogoro – no, Conan – explained, knocked out against the wall. There was a big dent behind his head and I gave him a sympathetic look, knowing that it had been done by Ran's karate. Geez, that's one _powerful_ kick…

"But do you have any evidence?" Megure-keibu questioned, looking down at the prone detective.

"Yes." He answered. And of _course_ he had proof – he was the Heisei Holmes, after all, even if they didn't know that. "The case Takeshita-san is carrying now is the one Nakajima-san intended to give to the big guy." I'm guessing Takeshita was the wimpy guy from before, judging by his paling face. He continued, "I'm sure the key found at the scene is of the explosion will fit perfectly. What's more, the case that exploded was an original Mantendo case. If you check the cases of all the Mantendo employees here today, I think you'll find that only Takeshita-san's case is missing. His case has been blown to bits."

Wow, it must have taken me long to do the Cocktail bar thing than I thought. The deduction was almost over. An unnerving smile appeared on the wimpy man's – Takeshita's – face and Nakajima's face was covered with disbelief as he stared at his coworker. "_Hmph,_ I can't believe it. To think, that explosion was caused by my bomb. I went through all the trouble to make it look like a terrorist's acts, but it turned out to be a waste of time." He said, almost calmly. It was a bit disturbing. Okay, Glasses, you have officially been name-changed to Creepy.

"T-Takeshita…"

Suddenly, Creeper lunged at Nakajima, grabbing his collar and yelling into his face in rage, "Yeah! _You're_ the one who was supposed to _die_! You killed Yoshimi!" Two officers pried him off the frightened Nakajima. Megure turned to the other two Mantendo workers, ignoring Creeper's outburst. "Yoshimi?" The unnamed man, the one who had punched the punching game first, spoke up, "She was the manager of the university boxing team we were all in. After she was dumped by Nakajima, she committed suicide."

"Suicide?" The inspector asked. The unnamed man continued to answer, "Yoshimi had been going out with Takeshita since junior high school. Maybe that's why…," Creeper just continued his various struggles as he was escorted out of the building, Nakajima stared at him. It sort of looked like a scene of a dysfunctional family, but the police uniforms and company outfits broke the image. Despite the 'pure' reason for his act, I couldn't sympathize or empathize with him. It was both their faults, really.

"Well, you've had a lucky escape, Nakajima-san." Everyone looked back to the Kogoro, who was still out cold, at the proclamation. "Let's move on to the main issue." Way not to give yourself away, Shinichi, I deadpanned, glancing at Erise to find her completely entrap with the deduction. Her clear blue eyes sparkled with interest, though she was frowning. Can't blame her, though. Someone _had_ been killed, after all.

"Who was the big guy dressed in black you made the exchange with?" The tone was no-nonsense, sharp and to the point. "W-Well...," "Now that you've messed up the deal, his crime syndicate will be targeting you." Kogoro went on and Megure spluttered, "S-Syndicate?!" The question was ignored as the Shinichi kept fishing for information, "Confessing everything in return for police protection would be prudent." It almost sounded like a threat and Erise leaned forward to hear better from underneath my arm.

"I-I really don't know anything about it! Just that the place to meet him was always the same – a bar called Cocktail on the top floor of the Daikoku building in Beika Town." Nakajima spilled and I let out a sigh of relief. Okay, good, it had been the right place. Sure, there was a man in black there who had set a bomb, but who was to say that it was just some other, random, criminal who planned on bombing some place called Cocktail at the top of a building called Daikoku. Well…Actually, the odds were pretty low…

Megure kneeled in front of his fallen friend, "Oi, Mouri-kun, what's this about a syndicate? Hey." He began to shake the unconscious man's shoulder, trying to get an answer. Unseen to everyone else, I spotted Conan running out from behind the wall discretely, heading through the flood of people and out the door while Kogoro finally woke up. When his figure disappeared from my view, I smirked to myself.

_Sorry, Shinichi, this one's mine for the taking. _

Inside my inner pocket, I could feel the CD resting patiently and internally, I moved forward a black pawn on my imaginary chessboard.

ooOOoo

"Well, that was fun~!" Erise finally hummed as all three of us – her dad, herself, and I – headed out of the building (I had already snucked away from Erise for a moment to get 'Watanabe Midori's' cellphone back from Megure), the convention over due to the crime. I nodded, "Yeah, it was fun. The games they had were really cool." Her dad smiled proudly as we continued down the street. We headed to a parking lot and I saw her dad pull his keys from his pocket. "I'm glad you two enjoyed it. Do you need a ride home, Koizumi-san?"

I blinked at the offer before waving it off gently, "Nah, I'm good. I think I'll walk. Thank you, though." He nodded briefly, unlocking his car and Erise turned to me, wrapping me in an unexpected hug. Shock kept me from hugging her back before I awkwardly patted her softly. I ignored Kin's jealous hiss as he wrapped around my legs, keeping me from moving. Finally, she pulled back to smile at me. "Thanks for coming with me even though you had errands, Midori-chan."

"A-Ah, no problem…,"

"Well, then. See ya~!" She waved, hopping into the passenger seat of the car and the two of them drove off. I stood there a moment longer before crouching down to pick up Kin, who immediately latched onto me like a deprived man would a sandwich. Rolling my eyes and starting to walk home (though, I'd stop at a bathroom to change back to Alice before going there), I hummed a tune lightly, feeling incredibly happy with my success with today's unexpected ventures.

Who said the Black Organization ruined everything?

In the distance, I heard an explosion and couldn't help but laugh to myself.

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – Wow! You're fast to review! XD I remember that I was waiting for reviews and then yours came in not to later. I was, like, so happy~! XD And I'm glad~! ^^ Thank you. XD I like to write about her getting in trouble a lot and putting herself into the "fun" is just one of her oddities. XD And yup, Conan finally met Midori! 8DDD Yup, Erise's father. I had fun making him. XD Hopefully, I'll get to make her mother sometie in the future, too. Ahh, gender problems, how I love you~! (Laughs) I like making my friends and family read fanfics I like, too. XD Then, I can talk about them with them and it makes it fun to discuss. Thank you~! (Sews Luck into pillow) ((Lucky pillow~ XD))**

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – (Laughs) Yeah, I do. XDDD And that's good – I'm glad I didn't explain it too horridly. XD Thank you~! (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) **

**To: MagicMilkbone – Welcome back, MagicMilkbone-san~! It's okay. XD We all get busy with life and other things at times. ^^ Yay~! I'm glad you think he's adorable~! Cats and dogs are both awesome! *hearts* They're both cute, too. XD I was having a hard time deciding whether Kin should be a dog or a cat, but I decided with cat, just because they're more…portable (?), I guess…? (Shrugs) I dunno. XD Annddd, perhapps~ (Avoids question) XD And maybe~ (Dodges sentence) XDDD Will do~! And yup! Black cats have a lot of history behind them and while they're believed to bring bad luck to most Western people, other countries believe they're good luck or that they're both good and bad luck depending on the situation. In Japan, they're thought to be good luck, but since Midori/Alice is actually from a Western country, she still labels him as 'bad luck', though she doesn't believe in the superstitions, only jokes about it from time to time. XD Woah, long rant. (Laughs) Sorry about that. I just think it's interesting, is all. XD **

**-Hope you enjoyed this case! I had fun writing it, but it seems shorter than usual… XD;;;**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: A shorter chapter to celebrate me making it to thirty. As expressed, now my chapters are usually about 3,000 words, or 2,000 at the least (unless it's a certain chapter that I can't come up with anything) ((Only on this story, though, my other story chaps are still short-ish)). This used to be how long every chapter was before. I've come a long way since working on this story. Thank you all for your continued support! (Bows) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Thirty

"Good morning, Alice-kun." The professor greeted me as I walked into his house, like I owned the place. It was plain to see that we were good friends now. "Good morning~!" I hummed back, immediately heading to the kitchen to grab a piece of toast; I hadn't had the time to eat breakfast yet and it was way past lunch time. Truthfully, both the professor and I were unconventional, always saying good morning until it was, at least, one o'clock. Everyone seemed used to it by now, though. I waved to Conan, who was sitting on the couch comfortably. It looked like he was reading a manga and just chilling.

Stuffing an un-toasted piece of toast into my mouth, I headed to the counter in the middle of the room (really, Agasa's whole house was in one center room, save the basement and his 'laboratory'), hopping onto a stool. I dug into my bag, pulling out stacks of papers with drawings and scrawled notes; one folder came out with the pile, covering what was inside of it. "Here ya go, Hakase~! Exactly what you requested." I grinned as he rushed over, excited.

"Oh, thank you, Alice-kun! I've been having a bit of inventor's block for a while." He chuckled whole heartedly, and my grin softened to a fond smile as he shuffled through the papers. Conan glanced over to us curiously, "What he requested? You've been helping Hakase with his inventions, Koizumi?" My brow twitched at the underlying suspicious tone before I masked it and turned to look at him. "Yup~! I only provide ideas, though, since I don't know the real science of the matter, right, Hakase?" He nodded. "He also chooses which ones he finds interesting and then, if he can, he'll create them. I just get to see the prototypes before he actually puts them into work and lets you use them."

"I see…," He trailed, disbelieving. He paused. "Wait – before he lets me use them?! You know about my gadgets?!"

I laughed as the professor looked sheepish. "I accidently told her when we were talking about the possibility of a machine that can swap your dimension." He explained, "But, she said she'd keep it a secret from any others, so it's fine." He quickly added, seeing Conan deadpan. Said boy gave a sigh before disregarding it and moving onto a different topic. "And a machine to swap dimensions? How would that be useful? Not to mention that it's impossible. Other dimensions don't exist." _Oh, you have no idea…_

"Well, you never know. People could be watching us, right now, on a television! Or in a story! This could all just be a vivid, realistic, story!" I retorted, feeling the need to defend the idea of it. Hey, if there was a possibility of making a machine to get back home, then I'd ditch the thief idea in the blink of an eye. So many things could go wrong with that current plan, after all. Like, _so many things_. The thought of it was enough to sink me into a pit of discomfort.

"Not to mention that the String Theory has been noted by several, not being falsified or approved. It's very possible that we could make it work, right, Alice-kun?" Agasa backed me up and I nodded confidently, throwing any thoughts of theft out of my mind – I was in a room with _Kudou Shinichi_, I _shouldn't_ be thinking of it right now.

Conan rolled his eyes at the two of us and I ignored him in favor of continuing to nibble on my bread. After a moment, Agasa followed my example, regarding the folder in front of me. "Is this also for me?" He asked in interest, about to open it before I caught his wrist. He blinked down at me as I gave him a sly smirk, putting my pointer finger in front of my mouth, the universal sign for 'keep quiet'. "This is a secret project I'd like you to work on, if you're interested. The mechanics of it are pretty cool, but you have to promise to not show anyone and to let me have the final product." My voice was hushed so that Conan couldn't hear in.

He locked gazes with me before he smiled gleefully, "I'll do it, Alice-kun." He whispered back, flashing me a brief thumbs up, before taking the folder and hiding it between the other, unimportant, papers. I went back to eating my bread, feeling accomplished. Agasa was definitely my favorite character now. He'd always been awesome, but now he was _epic_. Getting that invention done would help me tons.

"By the way," Conan started and I looked back to him, bread hanging from my mouth; he didn't bother commenting on my unfeminine behavior. "Why do you have a cat with you?" I blinked before my head shot down to look at the floor. True to his word, I spotted Kin gazing up at me from his laying position next to my stool. Internally, I gave a frustrated scream. I'd left him at home for a _reason _(and it had taken a long time to ditch him), why was he here?! How did he get here?! Heck, _when_ did he get here?!

"U-Uh, well. H-He's my brothers cat, but he likes me a lot more….for some reason,…" I squeaked out, glaring bullets down at the cat who was bored, cleaning his paws. _Why, the little–!_ "I guess he _followed_ me here, the little _sneak_." Venom was barely concealed, some words coming out more forced than usual. Kin seemed to have noticed, gazing up at me with a – no pun intended – 'cat that got the canary' look as he tail swayed playfully. My eyebrow twitched and I frowned down at him, which only seemed to please him more.

"Ah, really? It's funny that you mention that. There was someone I met yesterday that had a black cat with her the whole time. Strange girl. I think her name was…Watanabe Midori?" His tone was purely curious, and I could tell he wasn't actually fishing for information, but it sure as hell felt like it. My back straightened and I tried not to choke on my bread. "A-Ah…Is that so…?"

"But, since the cat likes you so much, you must have pretty good luck." He commented and I sweat dropped. Not really…

"Oh, right. Alice-kun is from America, right? You must think he's bad luck, then. But, since you're in Japan, don't worry; I think he'll give you good luck." The professor smiled, still shifting through the papers, sitting on a stool next to me. "What's its name?" I stopped breathing for a moment, my mind scrambling for an answer. I couldn't remember properly if Conan had gotten Kin's name, but if he did or if he _would_, then I needed to think of a different name. So far, he wasn't _too_ suspicious, but _would_ be if he figured out that my cat had the _same_ name as some Midori chick! Great, now I'm thinking about myself in third person!

"Uh…His name's Jack!" I quickly blurted out, mentally face palming. Jack? It was a nice name, but…I dunno. And it wasn't a name you could use for both genders – I wasn't even positive if Kin was a _boy_. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kin shoot me a sour look, obviously not pleased with the secondary name. I sighed to myself, my chin colliding with the counter underneath me gloomily. Agasa sent me a concerned look, probably wondering what was wrong.

_You know something is wrong with your life when even your cat has a secret identity… _

ooOOoo

"What's that?" I questioned, looking at paper that Agasa was putting into an envelope. Conan had just filled out the paper excitedly, for about an hour, before hurrying back home. He'd gotten a call from Ran, who had called to tell him dinner was ready. I had already told Kaito that I'd be having dinner at the professor's house tonight, as said professor had offered that we eat dinner while going over a couple of inventions that he wanted to do. Obviously, I had readily agreed.

The professor glanced up at me. "Oh, this is a small test that you take to win a contest. It's for a Holmes-lovers gathering." He explained, finishing putting the paper into the envelope and sealing it. "I printed it out for S-Conan-kun because he loves anything to do with Sherlock Holmes. I thought he might like it." The Holmes Freak murder case was coming near? Slowly, a smirk inched onto my face, which I concealed as I turned to survey the ingredients he had in his fridge. We were currently trying to decide what to make for dinner.

"Hey, Hakase, do you think you could print me out one, too? I love Holmes~! I probably won't get in, but it's worth a try." I asked hopefully. I probably wouldn't make it in, but if there was a way that I could observe the happenings there, I'd take it! Plus, seeing Conan freak out about Heiji figuring out his identity would be hilarious. On my part, I had to admit it was a stupid idea, but I disregarded. I wasn't gonna make it in, anyways. Holmes wasn't exactly a subject I knew _everything _about.

"Sure, Alice-kun." He replied happily, "I'll print it out before you go home, so you can do it there."

"Thanks." My eyes spotted the necessary ingredients for one of the noodle dishes I'd become fond of in my time in Japan. Adjusting had been hard, but I had a few favorites, while others I couldn't stand. Never, _ever_, trying unaji again. _Ever_.

"How does udon sound, Hakase?" It'd take a bit to cook, but it'd be easy enough for the two of us.

"Sounds good, Alice-kun. What should we add to it?"

Today had been a relaxing Sunday, to say the least. The professor was definitely one of my favorite people to be around. "Eh, you can choose. Do you have any cat food, though?" I questioned, pulling the ingredients out, glancing at Kin, who was sprawled on the floor beside me. Clingy cat, I thought with amusement.

"Oh, that's right! Jack needs to eat, too!"

I had to hold back a laugh as Kin once again sent me a sour look. _Sorry, bud. You're stuck with it. _

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – Haha, I still think you're fast. XD (And that sucks. Eating breakfast isn't something I do, but I know from my mom that when someone who does doesn't eat breakfast, they're really hungry around lunch time). (Laughs) I just enjoy writing this story, and since things are starting to catch up, I'm even more ecstatic to share it with my readers. XD (Or I'm telepathic~! *wiggles fingers*) And it took me a long time to be able to write that much. I'm glad the outcome is good, though. ^^ Yes~! More trouble~! 8DD (Evil Laughing) And yay~! Thank you for getting me another reader! 8D Oh, and happy (late) birthday to your sister! ^^ Thank you~! (Creates more Luck Tokens) **

**-The first short chapter (only 1,000 something words) in a while! 8O (Laughs) Thank you for everyone that has stuck with me this long and to all who have favorited, followed, reviewed, and even just read. ^^ You all are the reason that I continue to strive through this story when I hit the rough patches and give me encouragement. Not to sound too sappy, but thank you for all your continued support! You're all amazing! 8D *showers you all with love* **


	31. Holmes Freak Murder Case (Part 1)

**A/N: Whoo! The beginning of another case – and so soon! 8O I should really be working on **_**Mage&Magician**_**, but I'm horrible when it comes to that story… XD;;; Oh well. Enjoy? ^^ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) **

Chapter Thirty One

It was Thursday when I received a letter.

"Hey, Akako-neesan…," I droned, slumped on her couch like a useless piece of furniture, upside down. My legs dangled off the edge of the backing and I could feel the blood rushing to my head from its position. I was currently in Midori's form, for I had merely felt like being myself for a while. I sort of knew why Shinichi was so desperate to get his body back now. After a while, the small body felt cramped and you could feel yourself falling into step, even if you knew that wasn't a good idea.

Akako glanced down at me from her spot in the doorway, amused with my antics. She'd been surprised when I had stopped by – surprising enough, the first time we'd met, she'd been 'expecting me', after all – and when asked, I had honestly informed her that I was _bored_. The school week had been draining and I hadn't been able to sleep in for, like, _forever_. My sleeping pattern was becoming _normal_. The thought alone sent a chill down my spine.

"What is it, Midori?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow, and her creepy butler appeared from the other doorway to the living room.

"Is there anything to _doooo_….?" I dragged, knowing that it annoyed her by the way her lip twitched slightly. I blinked as the butler appeared before me, leering down despite his still-nervous demeanor around me. I swear, it wasn't like I was some type of monster – the way he acted was strange. My eyes narrowed before he began to speak, "Midori-sama, I think you will be pleased to see that you have gotten a response from the contest you entered last weekend." A letter was offered from his sharp-nailed fingers.

_The contest I entered…he couldn't mean–!_

I jolted up out of my position, fumbling a bit as I bent closer to my legs which were still extended. The sudden movement made me dizzy, blood rushing downwards now. Ignoring my disorientation, I snatched the letter, flashing the butler a quick grin that made him take a step back. "Thanks!" I said quickly, looking down to investigate the letter that I was now holding. Indeed, 'Watanabe Midori' was scrawled in the middle, along with Akako's address underneath. After careful consideration, I had decided to be safe and use the last name 'Watanabe'. Since Kaito obviously didn't know about my secret identity, I had used Akako's mailbox – she'd been pretty lenient with my use of her house and personal effects.

Except some certain rooms that I was forbidden to enter. Knowing that I was forbidden to enter the room, truthfully, I didn't even feel like pondering on what she had in the room – dead bodies, hostages? – and I didn't really care to know. Some things were better left unknown, as the saying goes.

My eyes darted up to the upper left corner and, sure enough, the kanji was loud and clear – Kanaya Hiroyuki, the one who had hosted the contest. I sucked in a breath, wondering if the world had somehow turned upside down when I had blinked. There was just no way that this was happening. Right? Right.

Slowly, I grabbed the letter opener being offered to me by the butler and started to open the letter. The paper ripped just as slowly, the sound giving me a foreboding feeling. When it was opened, I fingered the opening, before taking out one paper. Only one. It had to be a notice telling me that I didn't make it, right? Would they do that? My mind couldn't think of any other logical reason, other than me actually getting in and that thought was _ludicrous_ itself.

The paper crinkled as I unfolded it and I quickly scanned the contents. Releasing a sigh, I dropped the letter onto the floor, feeling drained. A frown played on my lips as I let myself fall once more, the blood once again rushing upwards. Discarded, the letter lay on the floor next to Kin, who had accompanied me. I was beginning to think that I'd never get him to leave me side. School had been hard enough, and I swear I could see him sometimes, wandering around the schoolyard, making me jumpy that someone would notice him.

He gazed at the letter before glancing back up at me as Akako walked closer. Surprisingly enough, Kin wasn't a brat to Akako or the creepy butler. Maybe it had to do with their supernatural creepiness. Who knows. "You didn't make it, I'm guessing?" The red-haired witch asked, though it was more of a statement. My frown grew and I could feel a headache coming on because of the way I was sitting.

"What gave you that idea?"

She smirked, crossing her arms as she took a seat next to my prone form. "You let out a sigh and now you're brooding. It's as clear as day, _dear_." I ignored her jeer, dangling my arms downwards to scratch under Kin's chin, smiling ironically when he leaned into the touch. "Actually, I'm not brooding because I didn't get in." I informed her, making her gain a confused look. Kin let out a purr, "The reason I'm brooding is because I _made_ it. This _shouldn't _be possible. It's _absurd_. I don't even know _that much_ about Sherlock Holmes. I had done it on a whim and I didn't _actually_ want to make it. There'll be _two_ detectives in the vicinity. Talk about flaunting 'hey, figure out my identity' much." I ranted.

Akako gave a trill laugh, enjoying my scowl. "Well, you do seem to have the most interesting luck, don't you? I'm sure everything will be fine."

Somehow, I didn't really feel reassured by her. My gaze slid back down to Kin, who was giving me an upside down expression of content as I continued to pet him. "You know," I began, feeling cheated. "Why do I feel like your good luck, the one you're supposedly giving me, is a very twisted good luck?" I received an innocent look in return.

Because, really. How else would I make it into something I had entered, even though I had changed my mind about wanting to go?

ooOOoo

Friday, the day that they would be picking us up, had come all too soon. The day seemed to fly far faster than usual and while I could see Conan was practically buzzing with excitement in his chair, I couldn't have been anymore his opposite – halfheartedly answering questions and feeling incredibly like someone had just spiked my drink with a highly potent poison. My sour mood must have been evident, since even the Detective Boys didn't try to pester me today into going to play soccer once more at the park (we'd been playing it all week and I'm sure my legs had gained a lot more muscle since).

Before I knew it, school was over and I was already in my room, packing things for the trip. Kaito was fretting behind me, scooping up various unneeded items out of nervous gesture.

"Alice-chan, are you sure you want to go on a trip with your Akako-neesan?" He'd been reduced to a blubbering mess, trying to get me to stay. "Don't you want to stay with your Kaito-niichan and go hang out with Aoko-neechan? We can go to Tropical Land again and we'll even go on the spinny ride that you liked so much again even though I got motion sickness from it, and I'll make sure that you get a seat in the shade when we eat at that picnic place again – I know how much you liked their fries and burgers – and then we can go get some lemonade and I'll give you a piggyback ride to the park and we can stay until dark and catch fireflies…" It was about there that I tuned him out.

Really, he had trust issues when it came to Akako. Well, not that I could blame him – she had tried to kill him before, after all – but still. I wasn't even going to be with her really, anyways, so his panic was wasted.

"I'm _sure_ I want to go, Kaito-niichan." I cut him off as he took a breath, getting ready to continue his offerings. The bag full of my things – my adult clothes had been pretty hard to sneak in – zipped shut, sounding final. "Akako-neesan will take care of me, promise!" Childishly, I made an 'X' across my heart and gave him a smile. He practically melted, sliding down onto the floor and pulling me into a hug. I rolled my eyes but leaned into his warmth – living with Kaito, you got used to the constant affection. Seriously, he showed it even more than my real mom! His child would definitely be mother-henned in the future.

"B-But, Alice-chan~!" He wailed dramatically, squishing me to his chest. "If you go with Akako, I may never see you again~! Who knows what she'll do to you!"

Suddenly, another voice broke the moment. "Kuroba-kun, I'm surprised. I thought you trusted me a bit more than that." Akako's smooth voice crooned, and I could practically hear the smirk in her voice. Kaito broke the hug quickly, whipping around the face the witch. "A-Akako! How'd you get in here?" Ah, there was the underlying suspicion again.

The beauty took in my room, noting the bag ready on my bed, before answering, "The door was unlocked." Yeah right, I internally countered. I had locked it when I had gotten home today.

Kaito blinked before putting on his pokerface again. "Are you here to pick up Alice-chan?" He stood, shouldering my bag as he walked past her and started downstairs. I hurried to follow, Akako close behind. "Yes, I did. Alice has been looking forward to this trip, so I hope you don't mind me stealing her for bit." 'Stealing her for bit'. What a _wonderful_ way to gain trust, Akako…

We arrived downstairs and I was surprised that Kaito didn't comment on her choice of words. He showed us to the front door and handed Akako the bag full of things. "Here you go, that's her stuff. Make sure she eats three meals a day – you have to force her to eat breakfast, otherwise she won't unless she's in a compliant mood – and make sure she doesn't stay in the bath too long, which she tends to do. Don't lose her bear, or she'll be devastated. Patch will be still here, but make sure that you don't lose the other." He instructed and Akako sent me an amused look when he wasn't paying attention. With my cheeks flushed, I grumbled under my breath, bidding Kaito goodbye before dragging Akako to the car that was at the curb. The sky was dim already.

I could see the creepy butler was the driver. My brow twitched as he looked somewhat…_awkward_ in the driver's seat. Why do I get the feeling he didn't have his license?

Both Akako and I got into the car easily and I waved to Kaito as the car pulled from the curb – sloppily, mind you – and then started to drive away. As soon as we turned the corner, I swear I could've heard Kaito's voice yell out distantly 'no, wait! I changed my mind!'.

Despite the whole upcoming Holmes Freak situation, I couldn't help but let laughter bubbled to the surface. Really, Kaito was too protective.

ooOOoo

The butler pulled the car to the curb, allowing me to slide out of it, already in Midori's form. I had changed in the car, the butler not even daring to look back after I had given him an intense glower, threatening to kill him if he looked. Though, I wouldn't have gone through with the threat either way. Still. I didn't want some freaky butler who was a demon watching me change. Guh. Just…Just no.

The point of my pickup was somewhat far from Beika and Ekoda, and I wasn't exactly sure where we were when I got off. By now, the sky was dark, filled with stars that were barely visible through the thick clouds rolling in. "Well, I guess I'll see you on Sunday." I muttered awkwardly to Akako, who had her window open, before I shuffled back from the car to wait on the curb of the road. With the sound of gravel moving, Akako gave me a curt nod and smirk as the car moved away, soon disappearing into the darkness of the surrounding area.

The chirping of crickets was my company in the dark. It was oddly peaceful, just standing there alone in the serenity of silence. It was almost enough to make me forget that I'd be going to the Holmes Freak murder case, where two people were killed and another was assaulted; the thought made my stomach churn nervously and I began to rock on my heels, suddenly feeling restless. Kin, who had accompanied me, looped around my legs for comfort.

I flinched as a car rounded the bend, the spotlights blinding me momentarily. It stopped in front of me, and I tried to peer into the windows, but they were blacked-out. Well, that was…_reassuring_… What if it wasn't the pickup car?

Shifting my stance and planting my feet on the ground, I readied my fist at my sides, clenching them till the knuckles were white. Before I could decide to fight or flee, the window rolled down. A round, jolly, face with a mustache and a deerstalker upon his head was revealed and I relaxed, my stance dropping considerable. "Ah, sorry, sorry. Did I scare you?" He chuckled. "You are Watanabe Midori, I presume?" Now that I look at it, the front window of the car was advertising that it was for the Holmes tour. I must have been too frightened to notice. _My bad…_

"A-Ah, yeah." I quickly stuttered out, fixing my backpack, which had slide a bit from my shoulder earlier. Remembering Kin, who was still hissing at the car, I picked him up swiftly, glad that he seemed content enough with the action to stop being rude to the host of the tour. "A-Are animals allowed? I have no one to leave him with and so…," I trailed, giving him a sheepish grin. The man gave another laugh, "Oh, yes, of course! Animals are allowed."

Relieved, I sighed and I heard a click as he unlocked the doors. "You can sit in the back next to the teen in the baseball cap." He instructed and I nodded, opening the door and getting into said seat. I clicked the door shut once more and there was a short moment before the driver set off once more. There were several other people in the van with me, but I skillfully kept my head down and continued to stare out the window. Feeling claustrophobic wasn't one of my ideas for this ride and the feeling had already come on; there was too many people talking and I had the worst luck ever, after all, since I'm sitting right next to…

"Oi, are ya alright?" I flinched at the questioned directed at me in a highly familiar accent. Swallowing, I ripped my eyes from the window to regard the teen next to me. He was taller than me by a couple inches, even when sitting, and his tanned skin almost looked black in the shadows, a hat brimming his eyes and making him look somewhat sinister. "I-I'm fine. Just a bit nervous. It's my first time travelling alone." Kin bit my finger in retaliation to my apparent ignorance to his companionship, but I ignored him in favor of staring at the Osakan teen. It was strange to see him in real life; the other time I'd met him had been when I'd been disoriented from shrinking.

He gave me a grin in return, "It's alright, there's a first time for everything and you _do_ seem pretty young." Careful, Heiji, the young comment could come off as rude to some, I chuckled internally as he continued, "About fourteen or fifteen, right?" There was a cocky edge to his voice that made me crack a smirk, all worries disappearing.

"Nah, I'm only thirteen." I shrugged carelessly, pulling my hat a bit lower to shield my amused eyes. My mouth spread into a wide, Cheshire, grin. "Name's Watanabe Midori. Nice to meet you, Hattori Heiji, famed detective of the west." My grin sharpened just a fraction as he smiled at my recognition of is title, looking happy.

"Nice to meet you, too, Midori-han."

Nice to meet you, indeed. For the _second_ time, that is.

ooOOoo

We arrived at the inn, Mycroft, sooner than I expected. After Heiji and I had introduced ourselves, we had chatted about various things, mostly consisting of Osaka, since Heiji loved his region and we supposedly shared it – I didn't know if I should think of my Osaka-ben as a curse or a gift; after all, the two of us were friends now, despite Kin's displeasure with the whole situation. I climbed out of the car, the scent and sound of the sea assaulting my senses immediately, Heiji close behind. The others had already made it into the building, leaving just the two of us. My eyes widened underneath the brim of my hat in astonishment.

"Wow…It's huge." I whistled, surprised. It had _definitely_ looked smaller in the anime and manga. Shouldering my backpack up a bit higher on my shoulder, I flashed a grin to Heiji as he voiced his agreements. "Well, I'm gonna go put my stuff in my room." He informed me, gesturing to his bag before heading into the building. I blinked at his retreating form before smiling to myself, letting Kin once again get on my shoulder. Before I could even begin to make my way into the house, though, a second car pulled up.

The doors clicked open and people immediately spilled out to go inside the house, not wasting time to check out the scenery. The flood of people cleared and before I knew it, I spotted Kogoro walking to the door, bowing to a woman from my car as she wandered out of the house. Their car had been parked in front of the one I'd been in, so they didn't take notice of my presence. Ran and Conan paused to look in awe at the house, just like I had. "Wah! It's amazing!" Ran gushed, "Conan! Come on, quickly!" She called, heading to follow her father inside.

Conan was beginning to follow before a hand caught his wrist, the hand bringing said wrist closer to examine his palm. Unsurprisingly, I couldn't hear them from here, but I could tell what she said unnerved him greatly before he hurried to dash after Ran. If I remember correctly, the woman was a medium and had told Conan that his secret might be figured out or something like that. Once they had made it inside the house, I sauntered from my 'hiding' place and was about to get to the door, but much like Conan, before I could, a pudgy hand grabbed my wrist.

My head whipped around to regard the woman carefully. Her beady eyes were staring intensely at my face, instead of my palm. "Er…C-Can I help you?" Her eyes were slightly unnerving, seeming to rip away all my lies. Finally, she opened her mouth to talk, "You're two in one, aren't you?" I raised a brow at the cryptic question. What was she going on about? "Your presence itself is overwhelming and draws in others." Her gaze flickered to Kin on my shoulder, who bared his teeth in return. "You might already be attracting more."

"…Um, what are you…?" Her brows rose in astonishment, as if in shock about something. "Could it be that you don't…? Oh dear, that's dangerous!" She released me as she took a step back and I just continued to give her a blank, confused, expression. "Sorry, dear, disregard what I said." She seemed nervous now and as I was about to ask her what the _heck _she was talking about, she hurried back into the house, leaving me alone. The sound of waves crashing along the cliff edge was the only sound for a while before I sighed and walked to the house.

Well, that was weird.

ooOOoo

After I had dumped my things in my room, I had gathered in the main room with everyone else, per instruction. I hung in the corner of the room, observing the other participants. I avoided Conan's detection pretty well, since he was too excited about the whole affair to both with being suspicious of anyone.

"Hello, everyone!" The owner, still clad in his Sherlock Holmes attire, said joyously. "Welcome to my vacation inn, Mycroft. I'm the organizer of this tour, Kanaya. All of you have been carefully selected by me as devout 'Sherlockians'." One of the participants, clad in a business suit and a disapproving face, spoke up, crossing his arms moodily. "What do you mean, 'carefully selected'? I noticed there's an amateur in our midst who doesn't know the first thing about Holmes." He glanced back to Kogoro.

The medium (fortune-teller?) woman from before looked at the man, "Oh? Is there really such a person here?" I suppressed a snort as they continued talking about the 'scandalous' participant. "Over there, that man with the mustache." Another man told her, gesturing to Kogoro, who now had a brooding expression. "I can see I'm not wanted. I'm going home!" Kogoro announced sourly, turning to do just as he had said. The owner was quick to try to stop him, "W-Wait a minute, Mouri-san!"

"This man is not just anyone; he's a famous detective whose work is on par with Holmes'…," He tried to explain for the disgruntled detective.

"Mouri Kogoro-san, right?" All gazes switched to a man with curly, brown hair, hands in his pockets as he stood next to, who I'm assuming (and knowing, since I could remember her), his girlfriend. "I know who he is. I've seen you many times on TV and in the papers." The brown-haired guy continued, making Kogoro smirk. His smugness wasn't long lasting, though, as the talking went on, "I'm sure you have a keen mind, but you're nothing in comparison to Sherlock Holmes." His tone made my brow twitch. He was very arrogant.

"I agree. If you were to actually match wits with him, he'd hang you out dry." His girlfriend obviously wasn't any better. Kin's tail tickled my cheek as it flicked in amusement and a laugh escaped my throat, earning me a glare from the seething Kogoro, and I tried to gain face by masking it as a cough. "Who do these guys think they are?" He growled. Conan offered some – not well received – compensation to the angry Mouri. "It's Holmes you're up against; it can't be helped." Yeah…Not the best way to ease him.

"Shut up! As if I would lose to a fictitious character!" He yelled in response. As if on cue, all the other participants – minus Boyfriend and Girlfriend – turned their heads to glare at him. Ran and Kogoro were a bit put off by their stares, but Kogoro recovered gracefully, smacking Conan on the head. "This is all your fault! You applied for this tour!" "Conan-kun!"

To say their faces did a 180 was an understatement. "Conan?" The rushed to the small boy, crowding him as Ran was pushed to the side, disregarded completely. As they all started to compliment his name, I wandered closer to the two off on the side, Ran and Kogoro, eavesdropping on their conversation as I took my sweet time to get to their side.

"I guess I didn't have to worry, after all." Ran began, confusing her father. "Well, Conan is normally unusually cool and not very child-like. I feel relieved to see him smiling so innocently." The beauty's face was doting as she gazed at Conan, who was still chatting with his fellow Sherlockians. "But to say he likes Holmes, it's just like him." "'Him'?" Kogoro questioned. "Yeah, him. The sly, show-off, deductive maniac, Holmes freak who sings off…,"

A new voice cut in as Heiji opened the door, his Osaka-ben filtering through the conversation. "Although he sings off-key, he's a great soccer player, and he beat me in the last case and ran off. You mean Kudou Shinichi, right?" The dark-skinned teen pulled his hat up with a friendly smile. "Hattori-kun!" Ran gasped, "Are you a Holmes fan, too?"

I stepped in before he could answer, slinging an arm around his shoulder – with a bit of difficulty due to his taller height – and gave the surprised girl a grin. Heiji slumped under my weight and he blinked at me before just going with it. In the car, we had gotten pretty well-acquainted with each other, after all. "No, no! This guy only came 'cause he thought that his detective counterpart, Kudou Shinichi, would be here." My voice lowered in a conspiring hush as I looked up at Ran through my lashes; she was taller than me. "'Sides, this guy likes Ellery Queen better."

I laughed a bit, finally retracting my arm from Heiji's shoulders. "Don't tell anyone, though, or Heiji-han will be glare at like your father." Ran nodded, still surprised by both Heiji and I's entry upon their conversation. During the trip, I had been granted the right to call him his first name since he used mine, and had decided to use the same honorific he used for me. It definitely made me sound more Osakan than usual, but it made me kind of happy at the same time.

Just as I was about to introduce myself, and Kin, who had taken shelter, once again, inside my sweater, clapping interrupted everyone's mingling. We all turned to the owner as he started talking, his helped beside him holding a book, "Well, everyone, it's late, so I'm sure you would like to turn in. Breakfast is at 9:00, lunch at 1:00, and dinner at 8:00. And then after dinner, as it has been customary every year, everyone will take a challenging deductive reasoning quiz. And if you get a perfect score on this quiz, believe it or not," His gloved hand presented an old book, words faded on the brown cover, but still legible. "I will award this first edition of the book, A Study in Scarlet, which introduced Sherlock Holmes into this world."

Almost all of the participants here leaned forward in excitement, but I bit my lip. Nobody would be getting the book, since the owner would be killed tonight. The thought made me a bit nauseous and I swallowed thickly. If I changed anything, the plot would change and Heiji may never figure out Conan is Shinichi. Then what? The course of events in the future would shift dramatically. There was nothing I could do. I had to let him be killed…

"However!" The owner, oblivious to future events, held his hand up. "I will need to see proof that you really are a devout reader of Sherlock Holmes." That seemed to put a damper on things for the others. "Proof?" Girlfriend asked. The question wasn't answered as the owner continued, his helper starting to pass out large packs of paper stapled together. "What the maid is passing out to you now is a one-thousand-question Sherlock Holmes quiz. "O-One thousand questions?!"

The owner seemed very pleased with himself as I took the large packet with a nervous smile of thanks, "Also, the deadline to hand in the quiz is dinnertime tomorrow. And those who answer, at least, 990 correct will be allowed to participate in the deductive reasoning quiz." The maid had finished passing out the quizzes – Heiji had taken his begrudgingly – and was beginning to go around with a tray. "And to prevent cheating, I would like you to turn in your mobile phones and any Sherlock Holmes-related books."

The medium woman gave out her book and cellphone with a sad face and the woman who looked pretty apathetic handed in her cellphone as the maid continued on. "Hiding them won't do any good. I have security cameras and bugs placed in various places within the house." The owner lifted up what looked like a walky-talky. "If I catch any of you cheating, I'll have you leave the premises immediately." The maid reached me and I waved my hand, telling her quietly, "I don't have a cellphone or any books with me."

She nodded, taking my lie for truth, since the owner was just scaring us with words of cameras and bugs. I knew they were all fake and if I gave her my cellphone, it would end up broken. Akako had bothered to give me the phone, so if I got it broken due to my carelessness, I'd feel pretty bad about it. Plus, I don't think Akako would do well with the news. Yeah, no, thank you…

The maid moved on to the rest as Kogoro spoke up, absently handing his quiz to Conan. "Hey, do I have to take this quiz, too?" He sounded irritated with just the notion. "Oh, no, you're a special guest. If I may, I'd like to ask you to lead the discussion later." The owner answer before looking down at Conan as the shrunken detective asked, "Ne, if I answer 990 questions correctly, will I be allowed to participate in the detective quiz, too?" He had that 'I'm a cute little kid' smile on his face, but I think that was his real expression. It was an endearing sight and I sighed to myself in disappointment quickly, trying to get Kin to stop scratching my collarbone and come out of my sweater if he was going to be a brat.

The owner looked down at Conan in surprise, voice a 'huh?' before, "Uh…Yeah."

"Well, then." Once again, the plump man in the Holmes outfit clapped his hands. "We should all turn in for today." All of us nodded and I began to lazily make my way to my bedroom with the others. Heiji bid me goodnight, along with Ran, who still didn't know my name, and I bid them it to before opening the door to my, relatively small, room.

Unzipping and taking off my jacket, I carried Kin over to the bed, collapsing onto it with another sigh. Toeing of my sneakers, letting them fall with a dull thud, and then taking off my hat were the only things I did before closing my eyes. Kin curled up against my neck, the ends of his silky fur tickling me as his rough tongue licked my cheek comfortingly.

"Goodnight, Kin-chan… Tomorrow is when everything goes downhill." I muttered, feeling sick again at the thought. Reaching over, I pulled the string on the lamp, letting darkness surround the two of us.

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – Oh, wow! We're, like, across the world from each other. XD It was about midnight when I posted that. (Laughs) Okay, let's say I'm fast, too. XD I look forward to when the invention is complete~! (Grins) And she got in – I couldn't resisted the thought of Heiji figuring out Shinichi. And more problems are fun~! (Agrees wholeheartedly and high fives) And thank you! 8D I will~! ^^ (Gathers Luck and Creates Lucky Gem) XDD**

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Thank you! 8D And yeah, poor Kin-chan. XDDD I couldn't resist it. (Laughs) (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan!**

**To: MagicMilkbone – (Laughs) Yeah, it was a pretty fast update, huh? XD (don't worry 'bout it, I'd don't check my email frequently either. XD) And Alice has helped Agasa make quite a few inventions so far, which will be introduced soon in the story. And yeah, Kin likes the name 'Kin' better, I guess. XD And yes! Jack came from watching Rise of the Guardians too much, lol! I'm not even sure how many times I had watched it in theaters, but I know it was more than ten times.;;; I like the movie too much. (Snickers) And yup! They're good luck there (apparently; that's what Wikipedia said when I researched black cats a while ago). That's cool. ^^ You should; learning about your culture is fun and can make for some good, fun, references. (or maybe that's just my information-nut speaking. XD) **

**To: SuperPaperPokemon (chapter 21 & 22 review) – Ah, I knew that would confuse some people. XD I had been careless and didn't put that beforehand.;; And it's okay! ^^ Thank you for your reviews! 8D **

**-I've chosen "opening themes" of sorts for this story. They will be said at the beginning of chapter one, but since that was quite a while ago, I'm informing you here, since most won't notice that something changed on the first chapter. I'll tell you them here, too, since it's easier than just going back to the first chapter. XD **

**Revolver opening themes;**

**Girigiri Chop & RUN. Both by B'z. **

**You can find English subbed versions of them on youtube, uploaded by **_**weeklyBz**_**. Thank you for reading! ^^ **

"**Next Conan's Hint: Blanket!"**


	32. Holmes Freak Murder Case (Part 2)

**A/N: Okay, this was fun to write, but painful. I bruised one of my finger and it aches with every typing move and it's currently 4:05 AM. What am I doing with my life? XD… All for you, readers. All for you. (Laughs) Enjoy? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Thirty Two

"Oi…," The sound invaded my consciousness, but I brushed it off as Kaito downstairs. "…She's _still _asleep…," The tone was disbelieving and I pulled the blanket up over my face to block out a sudden, flooding light. Damn it, why did he open my window…? "Go 'way…," I growled absently before feeling sneak out from under my covers.

"Ah, her cat." There was a slight pause. "–_Ow_! IT _BIT_ ME!"

The yell woke me up completely and I realized that I wasn't at the Kuroba household anymore. _Who the hell was in my room?!_ I jolted up, blanket falling from my face to fold around my waist and I quickly flicked my bangs from my eyes to see the figure in my room. Hattori Heiji stood in all his glory, holding his hand to his chest – probably because of his previous statement – and staring quite warily at Kin, who had taken up a defensive stance at the foot of the bed, fur standing on end. My mind processed this a bit slowly, but when I did…

"_Hahaha_–! You–_you_! I apologize in advance to _anything_ Kin-chan may do to you–_haha_!" I practically doubled over in my laughter, Kin finally relaxing a bit when he realized I was awake. The mere thought of Heiji getting bitten by Kin was somehow very amusing to me. Heiji deadpanned at me, "So that means that it may do this again…?" I gasped for air, finally calming from my laughing attack. "Y-Yeah, _haha_, he just might. It's half your fault for sneaking in here, though." Calling Kin over with a beckoning hand, I scratched under his chin as praise. Hey, if it had been a _real_ intruder, I would want him to do that.

"I didn't sneak in here!" Heiji asserted, indignant. "I knocked on your door about twenty times before being worried that something happened! It's already past one!" I blinked. "Eh, really?" My eyes darted to the clock on the wall and, sure enough, it announced '3:35' loud and clear. Whoops. At least my sleeping schedule was returning to its previous state, I thought with amusement. "Sorry for worrying you. Guess I didn't get so much sleep last night." I said sheepishly, coming up to ruffle my, probably, already-messy hair. And it wasn't a lie, either. I had truly had a hard time falling asleep with today's events in mind.

It was his turn to blink and he came closer to place a hand on my forehead, "Ya don't seem to be sick…," He trailed, pulling his hand back and taking a step from the bed when Kin's golden eyes stared at him. I chuckled, "Maybe it was because this isn't my bed. Or that camera." I gestured my chin to the fake security camera in the corner, "I felt watched _all _night~"

He nodded, frowning. "Yeah, I think the cameras were a bit much." He voiced, not noticing I was joking. "Anyways, ya just missed lunch. He raised a brow as I shrugged carelessly. "Eh. I'll just eat dinner then. Thanks for waking me; I can sleep all day, if I want to. Now, shoo. I'mma get changed." I waved him away and he grinned, "Okay, okay. No need to get all worked up, chibi." Just as a retort was on my tongue, he had already left the room, closing the door behind him.

"I'm not short…," I stuck my tongue out at the door, knowing he wouldn't hear or see, but feeling the need to defend myself either way. Placing Kin down on the bed, I picked up my back from the floor, getting out a fresh pair of clothing.

ooOOoo

I wandered out of my room, news clothes on and Kin standing proudly on my shoulder, relaxing happily against the side of my neck. Making my way to the main room, I found only Ran, Mouri, Conan, and Heiji sitting at the tables. Everyone else is probably in their rooms. It made sense, since a lot were probably still working on their Holmes tests. I hadn't even bothered to start mine. There was really no point to it, after all.

"Everyone else still working on their tests, I'm guessing?" I started up, gaining the attention of all four characters. It was bit unnerving, but I only bit my lip and pulled out a chair at the table they were all sitting in. Conan was the first one to speak up, "Ah, it's the black cat oneesan!" He sounded genuinely surprised and I flashed him a sweet smile, deciding to ruffle his hair just to spite him. He hid a glower as he tried to matt down his hair again. "Yup, it's me, kid! Watanabe Midori, nice to meet you all." I directed to the three Tokyoites.

"I'm Mouri Ran, it's nice to meet you." Her head bowed a bit before she gestured to Conan and her father, "This is my father, Mouri Kogoro, and that's Edogawa Conan." She gave me a gentle smile as I nodded in greeting to the two. "How do you and Conan-kun know each other?" She questioned curiously. I saw Heiji lean forward in interest at that and internally cursed his strange sixth sense to know when someone was either a liar or hiding something.

"We briefly met while at Beika Hotel, where a bombing took place." I answered honestly. "I remember you letting my friend take a turn on the strength game." I added.

Ran gave a face as recognition filled her, "Oh! I remember, you also had that cat with you." She giggled, "It seems to be quite attached to you. How cute." Heiji's face turned a bit sour at the mention of Kin, "He's not cute. He bit me." He muttered, making me snicker as Conan looked on with bemusement, apparently also finding it funny as Ran gave him a concerned look and Kogoro smiled, taking a drink from his cup. "I apologized for that." I chuckled, leaning forward to rest my chin on my palm.

He brushed off my apology – though, from his face, I could tell he'd already forgiven me – and instead decided to ask about the bombing I was talking about, "A bombing at a hotel?"

"Yeah. My dad solved the case, though." Ran replied, proud of her father. Due to her inadvertent praise, Kogoro's smile turned to an arrogant smirk that had Conan rolling his eyes, unnoticed by everyone but Heiji and I. There was a short bout of silence, as none of us knew what to talk about, before I gave a loud sigh, drawing their attention once more. I fished a deck of cards from my pocket (ones I had borrowed from Kaito for the weekend with Akako), bringing it up so that the others could see.

"Who's for _Old Maid_?"

ooOOoo

The day had passed swiftly and before I knew it, we all were already finished with dinner. I had switched tables, now being at the same table as, I'd learned, the gym teacher, the train station employee, the gloomy librarian, and the fortune-teller, who was doing her best to sit far away from me. Overall, dinner was good and I had some nice chats with the two, non-rude, ones at my table. It was about 9:23 PM when I heard Kogoro announce, "Ah! I'm stuffed!"

The maid served the train station employee, Fujisawa Toshiaki, a cup of tea as he spoke up, "The owner hasn't shown himself all day." To say the people were getting restless was an understatement. They were all getting annoyed with waiting, even though it was well after dinner – for most, Mouri had been eating since just now – and it was getting late. "Hurry up and call the owner! I want him to start grading the quizzes." Girlfriend demanded of the maid, who suddenly looked nervous. "B-But, I was told to entertain the guests until he arrives, so…," She trailed uncertainly.

"Don't worry about it so much." I interrupted the complaining, flashing the maid a grin as she turned to me in surprise. "Can I have another cup of tea, please?" I almost bit my tongue, not wanting to drink anymore of said tea – truthfully, I hated the stuff – but I felt the need to help out the awkward maid, who looked very grateful at my interruption.

The clock's hand ticked as yet another minute flew by.

ooOOoo

12:04 AM.

I yawned, absently toying with Kin's tail gently, who was lying on my lap. My chair was balancing precariously on two legs as I leaned back, one legs dangling while the other was extended to grip the underneath of the table and keep me up, rocking me, much to the unease of the others around me. They obviously thought I was gonna fall, but I knew I wouldn't. I had done this a lot in the past, having mastered the art of it.

Suddenly, Fujisawa decided he was done waiting, standing abruptly, making the table shake and making me hurry to steady myself. "Damn it! I'm through with waiting! I'm going back to my room." He growled, already beginning his way out of the room. "S-Sir!" The maid exclaimed, trying to get him to wait, to no avail as he ignored her and stormed out of the room. "I guess that rumor was true, after all…," The fortune-teller, Toda Maria, muttered sullenly, "The deal about the first edition being the prize is a big lie! Nobody gets all the questions right and he just keeps the book and shows it off. That's all his tour is about."

She stood up, "Excuse me, I think I'll go to bed now." "Me, too." Ikuo Kawatsu agreed and following her lead, got up, the gloomy librarian following them as well. I was now alone at my table, the maid trying to stop the others before Kogoro also said, "This is ridiculous. I'm off to bed, too." And with that, he got up and left as Ran turned to Conan. "What are you going to do, Conan-kun?" She asked.

"I'll stick around a little longer." He answered with a small smile.

Heiji glanced at me, "What about you, Midori-han?"

"Eh, I'll stick around a bit longer, as well. Patience is a virtue, after all~!"

ooOOoo

3:24 AM.

Heiji let out a loud yawn, breaking my peace as Kin chewed on my finger, obviously as bored as I was. "I think I've reached my limit." He said, rubbing at his eye. "Hey, Kento, let's go back to our room, too." Girlfriend's tone was exasperated as she whispered to Boyfriend. However, Boyfriend obviously wanted to stay longer, "Hang in there. In these situations, the first who flinch loses. Huh? Isn't that the car we arrived in?" Blinking sleep out of my eyes, I turned my attention to Boyfriend, where he was looking out the window in confusion.

Through the window, I could see the vague outline of a car moving slowly closer to the edge of the cliff. With a clang, the two front legs of my chair once again met the ground as I leaned forward, pulling my finger away from Kin's mouth to grab him and wander a bit closer to the other table.

"It's the owner! He's driving the car." His girlfriend pronounced. Everyone else stood up to see out the window and we all ended up in a single file line, standing between Boyfriend and Heiji. "See? Now he's going to start the deduction quiz." The curly brown-haired guy next to me stated, and his long-haired girlfriend replied in kind, "You were right, Kento."

"Doesn't he look a bit strange, though?" My voice was low, as if I was speaking to myself. "And he's heading towards the cliff…,"

My hints were only accentuated as Girlfriend exclaimed, "H-Hey! Wait a minute!" Boyfriend threw in his two coins, "She's right!"

And just like that, as if a switch had been turned, Heiji and Conan were quick to jump at the oddities. The window was thrown open by the two of them, sliding with little sound and Heiji vaulted over the edge as Conan climbed over it. Surprising me, though, Heiji called out, "Midori-han! Come on!" Startled, but compliant, I quickly placed Kin in Ran's surprised arms before vaulting over the edge of the window with ease and catching up to the two boys quickly. "Take the other side!" Heiji instructed and I nodded, heading to the passenger side.

"Oh no! He sped up!" Heiji shouted as the car, indeed, sped up a bit. Straining my legs forward, I made it to the window, seeing Heiji on the other side, banging against the window. "Hey, old man, what are you doing?! If you don't stop, you'll fall off the cliff!" Heiji yelled, trying to get the driver's attention and with a stray thought, I absently wondered if I could get into the car and stop this whole case altogether. With the evidence of the body, it wouldn't take Heiji and Conan long to find out the murder.

Deciding that it was a good idea – and would stop future murders –, my hand reached down to pull at the knob, yanking forcefully as Conan hopped up and hung on the rearview mirror on the other side, noting the blanket on top of the dashboard. Growling, I realized it was locked – figures – and in my frustration, my fist banged on the window angrily. A small crack in the glass appeared, extending through it like a spider web, and I blinked before smirking. _Could work._

Steeling myself, I brought my fist to the opposite shoulder before ramming my elbow into the already cracked glass once. It shattered loudly, making Conan and Heiji's eyes turn to the owner to me as I reached in, a surge of warm air hitting my face, as I leaned in, reaching for the ignition and steering wheel. My fingers brushed his arm and I tried to make my reach longer by leaning in a bit farther, a stab of pain assaulting the skin above my ribcage.

"Hey!" Heiji called out to the owner before shooting me a frantic look, "It's no use! Get out!" Glancing out the front window and seeing the edge of the cliff dangerously close, I followed his instruction, sliding out from the window hurriedly. "Old man! Old man!" Heiji continued pounding on the window and Conan hopped off just in time as I finally managed to unsnag my sweater from the window glass that was still clinging to the frame. And just as I managed to detach myself, the car made a sound as its front wheels went over the edge before it spiraled downwards in the sea.

The sight was something out of an action movie as it collided with the rocks below, igniting the gas and car, exploding with a loud eruption from below. I swallowed thickly as my face paled, as did the two detectives. Remembering them at my side, I couldn't help but feel just the _tad_ amused, despite my horror at the situation – I could have been in there!

This was the beginning of their 'bodies falling from tall heights' curse.

ooOOoo

We had gathered everyone together again at the scene of the fall and the result was chaos when Heiji had announced that the owner was dead, Conan and I confirming it. "What?! The owner is dead?!" I winced at the harsh loudness, Kin at my heels, his eyes glowing eerily in the night. I was vaguely surprised when I didn't see scratch marks on Ran's arms, but perhaps he'd taken a liking to her.

"Yeah, he is…," Heiji said, one hand in his pocket. "He fell into the ocean right before my very eyes." The maid seemed the most devastated and, seeing as he was her employer and she'd probably been with his a while, I could tell why, "How can that be? Why?" Kogoro yawned from the back of the group. "It was suicide, I tell you. He didn't want to give up his book." He seemed irritated and tired with the whole situation and my brows furrowed in distaste. Couldn't he have a bit of respect for the dead?

"No, I believe this was homicide." Everyone's eyes turned to Boyfriend as he announced this. "The culprit killed or knocked out the owner and put him in the driver's seat. If you shift the gear into drive, the car will move on its own." He pointed a finger to the garage, "This probably all took place in that garage."

"Eh, you seem very knowledgeable about this incident…," I muttered in a whisper only he would hear, watching as his eyes widened just the slightest. A smug smirk came onto my lips at the reaction before Maria's worried voice spoke up, "Could it be that one of us could be the culprit?" Her eyes flickered briefly to me and I scowled at her in return. _What the heck?! Why was she so rude to me?! _

"It would seem so." Boyfriend answered, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Perhaps, but somehow the car accelerated on its way to the cliff." Heiji cut in, making Boyfriend give a 'what?'. "Also, there was this strange hissing sound in the car. It wasn't a sound produced by the engine." His face was quite serious and having spent the whole day with him and his carefree expressions, it was odd. Somehow, he seemed a bit older than he did usually. More professional, I guess. "Oh!" Ikuo started, "Maybe it was the air conditioning! It might have been left on and started running when the engine was started." It sounded logical enough to all the others.

"Anyway, retrieving the body would be impossible. All we can do is contact the police and wait for them to arrive." Kogoro grumbled, still looking tired. "But the owner took all our phones, and…" Ikuo trailed, cut off as the maid gasp. "Then, the phones must be in the owner's room!" She dashed off to the house, probably to go to the owner's room. My attention was captured by Conan, though, as Ran questioned him. "Why are you looking at the tire tracks?"

"Just looking for something." He mumbled absently, still gazing intently at the tire tracks. I saw Heiji and Conan's head path's collide before they even ended up hitting each other, their foreheads making a dull thud. "Ow!" Their voices were almost simultaneous, but not quite. I chuckled at the sight. "And why are you down there, Hattori-kun?" Ran once again asked, surprised. "What do you think? I was just checking to see if the air conditioner was actually on and again this kid–"

The expression on his face changed instantly, eyes wide, before his head whipped around to stare at Conan, who was still rubbing his head. I could see thoughts run through his blue-green eyes and I shuffled over to his side, "Suspicious kid, isn't he?" He seemed startled by my appearance and my words but nodded slowly, all the same. As I was about to say something cryptic again, Conan interrupted.

"It's kind of hard to see in the dark, right?" He verbalized, looking for all the world an innocent little boy.

"Y-Yeah, you're right…," Heiji uttered, put off a bit. A click sounded before a small light appeared behind all of us, making us turn, seeing Ayako – Girlfriend – there, holding out the light. "How's this, young detectives?" We all smiled nervously back at her – for different reasons; Heiji because he'd been questioning Conan a second ago, Shinichi because he actually was a detective, and me because it was just _awkward_ to be called that when you lived with a phantom thief – and after the two said their thanks, I muttered back, "Ah, thanks…"

Talk about awkward…

ooOOoo

"The phones are all broken!"

We all had gathered in the owner's room to get the phones. So much for that, right? Boy, am I glad that I didn't put my phone with theirs. Sure, I felt bad that mine was the only living phone – and I couldn't say anything (or could I?) – but it wasn't exactly my fault that I had known they'd be broken.

"W-Who could have done such a thing?" Maria gasped and I rolled my eyes, finally deciding to get back at her for all her rudeness. "The criminal, _obviously_…," She looked surprised at my direct sentence, but couldn't say anything as the maid announced, "The book is missing, too!" And sure enough, the vault behind her that was wide open only had a few pieces of scrap paper and empty boxes in it. "Damn!" Toshiaka cursed, "Let's take the other car and get out of this crazy place!"

"That won't be possible." Heiji stated, walking to the entrance of the door. I'd been wondering where he'd gotten off to after I'd gotten a bit cold and went for refuge in the warm confines of the house. "The other car in the garage has had its gas tank punctured. All the gas has leaked out and the battery's dead. That car isn't going anywhere."

The only person smiling – more like smirking – was Boyfriend, as Ran asked worriedly, "How can that be…?" Boyfriend gave a sinister chuckle. "It looks like it was murder, after all, tantei-san." He mocked Kogoro. Heiji walked forward through the surge of people, breaking off the impending retort and more scared mumbles, getting the attention of others as he continued, "The trick the culprit used to cause the car to accelerate is still a mystery, but the fact that the other car is out of commission means…," He paused for effect before turning to look back at us all, "The culprit isn't done with this murder mystery."

The room's silence seemed to maximize – obviously, his added effect had worked well with the others – and I suddenly felt the strange need to _laugh_. Covering it with a stray cough, a stab of pain in my side had me flinching, a bead of nervous sweat running down my brow when Heiji's eyes seemed to zero into the action. Great, was he getting suspicious of me, too? This was a bad idea, _such a bad idea…_

"Anyway," Thankfully, Mouri broke Heiji's concentration and he looked back to the oldest detective. "The culprit is one of us. If we follow the leads, we will figure it out."

"I've got it!" Ikuo announced, "If we check the security cameras, we might find something."

And, low-and-behold, I found unneeded words tumbling out of my mouth. "It's no use. They're all fake." Everyone seemed surprised by my knowledge of the false cameras and I felt myself instinctively take a step back to safer territory, by the window. "Eh? How did you know, Watanabe-san?" The maid asked curiously, and the others reacted with shocked sounds at her question, realizing I was telling the truth. I swallowed thickly as Conan and Heiji's eyes narrowed dangerously in my direction. No! I didn't kill _anyone_, you two! Don't give me that creepy detective look! _It makes my skin crawl!_

And it really did. It felt like they were stripping me under their gazes, peering into the depths of my soul. Utterly…_discomforting_. "W-Well, you know. They _had_ to be fake. After all, people change in their bedrooms and it's _illegal_ to peep on someone when their getting changed!" I rushed out, internally smashing my head into the nearest wall. That sounded so stupid, just now…

"So it's true?!" Fujisawa was disheartened by this news.

The maid frowned in apology. "Yes, they're just props that the owner uses for this tour." Mouri grumbled 'props?' under his breath before the other Osakan teen took the stage once again. He practically owned this episode with his epic deductions and suspicion about Conan being Shinichi; and possibly about me, too. "One thing we know for certain is that the culprit killed the owner and put him in the car around 3:30 AM. That means it's impossible that I, or these six people, who were in the living room for the past few hours had committed the crime." Maria sent an almost apologetic glance to me, but I blatantly ignored it stubbornly, crouching to pick up Kin, who had starting to claw the ends of my jeans.

"Wait a minute. You're saying the culprit is one of us five who wasn't in the living room at the time?" Fujisawa was obviously not a very compliant person and I absently pitied his wife – or future wife, whichever it was. I surely didn't see a ring on his finger, though, so I guess the later. Unless he was a cheater, that was a definitely something to consider…

"Please don't include me in that category." Kogoro gruffed to the man.

Putting the weird thoughts swirling about in my head, I gave Kogoro a grin, letting Kin back up onto my shoulder and nuzzling his cheek with mine, liking the feeling of his fur as Ayako walked up to Heiji to whisper something in his ear. "Now, now, Mouri-tantei." He turned to look at me, giving a slightly unnerved look as I narrowed my eyes in amusement. "Just because you're a good detective doesn't mean that you aren't the criminal."

He gave me a surprised face, before frowning, but just as he was about to say something – and Ran, too, since she was stepping forward a bit –, a laugh broke through the room. Girlfriend was laughing to herself, arms crossed smugly. "A-Ayako...?" Boyfriend trailed.

"Because I have figured out…who the culprit is and what trick he used." She smirked, lighting up a cigarette. She took a drag of her cigarette before releasing the smoke slowly, "I have evidence to prove it, too."

Shock spread through the room. "What?!" The voices were mingled as one, not having a specific owner.

"I'll give you ten minutes. If you don't want me to expose you, then you should give yourself up." She said, before starting to walk out of the room. My brow twitched as I tried not to rush after her, and save her from her terrible fate in the near future. "H-Hey, Ayako, where are you going?" Boyfriend asked, making me nauseous. "The bathroom." She answered simply, still walking out. "A-Are you crazy? If you go alone, the culprit will come after you!" _You would know, right? _

Huffing out a regretful breath, I steadied myself, marching forward through the flood of people as she turned to her boyfriend, "Then you can protect me."

Just as he was about to follow her out the door, I caught his shoulder roughly, trying to look friendly. "Ah, don't worry about it, I'll go instead." "Bu–!" My smile strained, my eyes hidden from the others as the flashed with threats unspoken and I walked in front of his as he stood there, frozen by the look. "_Didn't you hear me_? I said I'd go. Besides, you shouldn't follow a girl to the bathroom, it's _rude_." Giving a small chuckle to mask the venom, I closed the door behind me as I followed Ayako out into the hall to her way to the bathroom. A spike of pain riddled up my side as my muscles tensed.

There was a moment of silence between us. "Ah, Midori-san, why are you so tense?" She questioned smoothly as we made our way to the bathroom, finally noting my rod-straight stance. I sent her a small smile, "N-Nothing much, just a bit worried for you, is all. You did just announce to all the suspects that you knew who the criminal was." She sent me a sly glance, "But doesn't that include you, too, dear?" The way she said the endearment was similar to Akako, but warmer.

"I suppose so…," Laughing a bit nervously, I reflectively stuffed my hands in my jean pockets as we reached the bathroom, regretting it a moment later as yet another stab of pain laced up my ribcage. Unbidden, a small groan passed my lips, informing my company of the wound. She looked back at me, her brown eyes scanning me before stopping at a part of my stomach. "Oh my! You're bleeding." Before I could react, she pulled me into the bathroom with her, closing the door, and reaching under the sink to take out a first aid kit. How she knew that was there was beyond me. Then again, everyone had had a longer amount of time to explore while I'd been in dream world, so it wasn't too strange.

"Lift up your shift." She commanded and I awkwardly did what she was told, raising it to just below my chest. And sure enough, a long, bloody, gash ran across my left side, specks of glass embedded in it. _Ouch_. That looked really bad. Apparently, Ayako thought the same, since she gave a short gasp, hurrying to survey the damage properly and getting out a pair of tweezers. She wasn't gonna do what I think she was gonna do, was she? My face paled considerably.

"This will hurt, but otherwise it could get infected and make the injury worst." _Oh, god, she was… _

Nausea quelled at the back of my throat as I nodded stiffly, closing my eyes so that I didn't have to see what she was about to do. Small pricks of pain were felt as she picked out the pieces of glass from my side and I cursed my earlier recklessness. A wet, cold, cloth was ran over my side every so often, probably to clear her vision of the blood I could feel sliding down my stomach. The feeling wasn't very pleasant, to say the least, but Kin's comforting warmth on my shoulder was welcoming. Surprisingly, he was letting me be treated.

"So, where did you get this injury?" She finally asked as she continued her first aid. My eyes remained closed as I sighed, "I broke the window of the car, thinking that I could maybe stop it if I could get inside. Obviously, it didn't work how I had planned." I heard her give a quiet laugh at my sarcastic tone before she pulled back from her work and I felt a cold cream slide over the opening, stinging just the slightest. Antiseptic. And as she began to coil gauze around my torso – seriously, it hadn't even been that long since I'd gotten my neck gauze off… –, I opened my eyes and looked down to her concentrated face.

"Thanks, you know, for the help." I thanked her awkwardly, still finding it weird that someone was tending to my side other than a doctor or paramedic.

She flashed a calm smirk up to me, "It's no problem, you did come to protect me from the big, bad, criminal, after all." My response was a sheepish smile as I lifted my arms a bit so that she could secured the bandages. "About that, Ayako-san…," My eyes wandered to the ceiling as I thought of how to come up with how to put it. "Um, just in case, _don't_ take any offers from the criminal. Even if it's someone you know. Because, I've heard that lots of criminals bribe people into keeping their secret a secret…and stuff." I finished lamely.

She taped the bandages and pulled back to survey her work before nodding, signaling that I could pull down my shirt now. I did just that, biting my lip expectantly and she looked back to me. "You sound like you know what you're talking about, Midori-san." Either that was sarcasm, or she actually thought that, I couldn't tell. "But, I think I'll decide if I do or not. Why do you bring this up? Do you know who the criminal is?" Her toen was purely curious.

I hesitated before giving a tiny nod. "Y-Yeah, I think so…," Finally gaining the courage, I shouted, "So please promise not to make any deals with him!" I didn't want her to die; she was actually a nice person.

She stared at me a moment before smirking, "Okay, I promise, Midori-san."

Letting out a relived sigh, I grinned as I stood, helping her up from her place on the floor with an extended hand. "Okay, I should head back, now that I know that." And with that, feeling reassured that she wouldn't do anything stupid, I waved before walking out of the room, thanking her once again for the help, and heading back to the owner's room.

Arriving back in the room, I was met with probing questions. "So, who's the culprit?" Fujisawa, along with the others, leaned forward for the answer. Even Maria wasn't acting nervous around me anymore; I think she finally realized that I wasn't a bad person. "She told you, didn't she?" As if on cue to my thoughts, Maria asked frantically. "Please tell us!" Ikuo added, as if that would help.

I shrugged, uncomfortable under the attention, used to being a bit of a wallflower. "She didn't tell me, either." I said truthfully, putting my hands up in defense. "Damn, she's just toying with us!" Fujisawa growled and Boyfriend snuck past me, out of the room, "I'm gonna go check on her." He said, and before I could pull him back like before, he was off, the door closing behind him. I blinked uneasily before covering it with a shaky smile. Nothing would happen; I'd warned her, after all.

"Hey, Maid-han, besides Ayako-san, there were other people who didn't eat lunch, right?" Heiji questioned and maid answered, "Yes, Toganou Kento-san, Shimizu Nanako-san, and Watanabe Midori-san." Boyfriend, the gloomy librarian, and myself had both been absent during lunch. The others who didn't notice the conversation didn't bother saying anything, but I wandered closer. "I was asleep. If I'd been awake, I would have loved to eat your food; it's great." I complimented her as Heiji went back into his thoughts. Boyfriend arrived back in the room and almost immediately, Conan was at his side.

"Hey, oniichan, did Ayako-san come to your room during lunch?" He asked in his 'I'm a sweet little kid' voice. Boyfriend smiled down to the shrunken Heisei Holmes, "No. I was working on the quiz during lunch and nobody came." He looked quite calm for someone who had probably just been bribe-rejected by his girlfriend. …She _did_ reject him, right?

Ran interrupted my train of thought with a concerned tone, "Hey…Isn't Ayako-san taking a bit long?"

She was, but I knew before that she was only still using the bathroom. "N-Now that you mention it…," Ikuo stuttered, glancing at the clock with the rest of the group, except for Fujisawa, who looked down at his watch, "It's been over twenty minutes." Wow~! Times flies when you're worrying about murderers, huh?

"Could it be–?" And with Mouri's exclamation, all the men in the room rushed out to check on the missing Ayako. I stayed behind with Ran, the maid, and Maria. Taking a seat on the owner's chair of conduct, I leaned forward sleepily. This case was tiring and so late at night…so early in the…whatever…

With a yawn, I fidgeted before leaning back into the spinning chair, eyes glued to the white of the ceiling.

_So tired…._

ooOOoo

I jolted awake at the familiar sounds of Conan's sugary tone, "Huh? Where's Ayako-san?" Sleepily, the phrase registered in my mind, before I stood from the spinning chair, not caring as to how it clattered from the ground, startling a few people. Heiji raised a brow at my disheveled appearance, as if saying 'how can you sleep in this type of situation?' but I ignored it as Kogoro answered, "That woman went out to take a walk." "Huh?"

"We told her not to go, but she said there wouldn't be any more killings." Ran said, though her tone was still anxious. Ran cared about everyone she met and greeted and even people she didn't; I'm surprised she could withstand so much murder in her life. It was almost sad to think of it…

My eyes darted to the side as another, arrogant, voice spoke up, "Anyway, all the suspects are here." Boyfriend shrugged helplessly and my teeth clenched together with a clatter. The bastard, he still thought he could win when she'd promised–! "If we all stay put, nothing will happen." Fujisawa added, brows furred in worry. Then just like that, the promise was broken.

My heart stopped as a loud explosion wracked through the building, shaking the ground faintly like an earthquake and lighting up half of the room with an orange glow from the windows. It couldn't be…

"What was that?!" "It came from the garage!" "What happened?!" My mind filtered out the voices, not even caring who was saying what, as I dashed out of the house with the others, ignoring the sting on my side. Kin hopped the height from my shoulder as I didn't have time to secure him, but I didn't care at the moment. We all stopped in shock at the sight of the garage, burning wildly, crackling as if it were alive. "Could Ayako-san be in there?" I vaguely registered Ran's voice.

"A-Ayako…,… Ayako!" The scream sounded dull and before I knew it, I was rushing to the fire as well, my body feeling numb from shock. It couldn't be…

"Someone put the fire out! Or else the book…!"

"Ayako-san! _Ayako-san_!" My voice didn't sound like mine, cut off and ragged. A hand snagged my arm, tugging me back before I could reach it and I thrashed violently, trying to yank away. "_Let go! Let go! Let me g_–!" My throat constricted as I was pulled back into strong arms, keeping me from running off, even as I leaned forward and promptly dry gagged, saliva dripping to the ground. My stomach had long been emptied and the night's dinner digested. It couldn't be…

"_Calm down_, Midori, there's nothing you can do now!" The male voice sounded familiar, but didn't register and it wasn't until I slumped, just staring at the burning building in shock, did the person slowly release his strong grip and lower me to the floor, where I could sit. A paw bat at my leg in concern and my hand automatically came to touch the soft fur on instinct. The smell of ashes and the heat from the fire surrounded me, suffocating, and then suddenly my attention was pulled away as gentle hands guided my face away from the chaos – the chaos which I knew was coming, which I knew I could have stopped, which I knew would happen, which I knew was coming…

Motherly eyes stared back at me, the lilac color of Ran's eyes, her caring face leaning in as she focused on calming me down. "Midori-chan, it's okay. Breathe." She seemed a bit sick, too, but she obviously had a stronger stomach than me. I'd just been talking to Ayako a moment ago and she was just, gone. Hadn't she promised me…? Maybe if I'd done something more…

"It's not your fault, Midori-chan. Please, calm down." And just like that, my thoughts immediately snapped to speed, as if elastic had been pulled then released. I sucked in a breath, swallowing the lump in my throat. The orange glow had flickered before disappearing out of the corner of my eyes and I realized that it must have been put out while I'd been out of it. "Ran…san." I muttered, pulling back a bit to escape her worried face, feeling guilty for being such a wimp.

It looks like this will still take some getting used to, I thought with bitter amusement. Finally, I gathered myself together, wiping the edges of my mouth with my sleeve. "S-Sorry…I just wasn't expecting…," I trailed uncertainly, voice rough from my throat's abuse. The arms around me let go at last and I turned to see Heiji standing up, "You had me worried there, for a minute." He joked, trying to lighten my mood. Unexpectedly, it worked and I cracked a small grin, "'For a minute'? You even forgot an honorific." I chuckled, feeling tired and content with just sitting on the floor.

"Ah, sorry about that, but it was the only way to get through to you." He laughed, scratching the back of his head. "I didn't think you were one with a weak stomach."

"I'm usually not. It's just…," I changed the subject before I got myself sucked up in the moment again, "Nothing. Anyways, it's okay. If you call me that." I added and he looked down in confusion. "Midori, it's fine if you just call me that." I clarified and I saw him nod with a happy smile before his face turned serious again as he headed to the garage to survey the damage and look for the body. The garage was nothing more than scraps now and I turned back to Ran to avoid the sight.

"Um, Midori-chan, this may not be the best time, but….," She pulled something out of her pocket. The crinkled paper was sent gently into my palm and I grasped it as she stood back up, to leave me to read it. "Ayako-san left you a letter, before she went out on her walk. …I thought you might want to see it." With a careful smile, I thanked her as she walked away and I took a shuddering breath before opening the folded paper.

My eyes found the words easily enough, written with elegant scrawl across the page.

_Sorry, I lied. _

Next to it was a small, drawn heart, shaded in. I blinked at it before a small snicker erupted from me, as I was suddenly feeling much better. "Ayako, you _fool._" My tone was still growled out, bitter feelings for her broken promise still there, but before I knew it, I was adding, "You'll always have a bad personality."

Folding the paper and standing up shakily, gaining my balance again, Kin comfortably in my arms, I put it in my back pocket. "But, hopefully, I'll see you again, sometime…," The wind didn't answer me like in all those cliché movies, but I could have sworn I heard her sly laugh vaguely.

Looking up, I ignored Boyfriend's screams from the garage and smiled a bit, "You're still a _moron,_ though."

ooOOoo

After the body had been confirmed, all of us had gathered around the scene of the crime. The burnt remains of the garage didn't bother me anymore, much to the relief of the others. They obviously didn't want to deal with a hysteric thirteen-year-old. Truthfully, I couldn't blame them, since I wouldn't want to, either. "Judging by the clothes and build, it's definitely her." Mouri told everyone solemnly.

Ran's head bowed a bit from her place beside me, where she was just in case I needed support. "Ayako-san was fine just a moment ago…," She intoned gravely, still in a slight state of shock. I grinned, trying to cheer her up now. My arm slung around her shoulder, surprising her, "She's in a better place now." I whispered, just low enough for her to hear. If she believed in heaven or the afterlife or not was beyond me, but since she believed in ghosts and other things, I figured she would. She smiled a bit at my attempt. The others seemed to take my mood swing a bit cautiously, but I paid it no mind.

"And she said she knew who the culprit was." Maria said. "Does this mean that the culprit killed her to keep her quiet?" The maid questioned. The gloomy librarian spoke up, "But when the fire broke out, we were all in the owner's room."

"Then who started the fire?" The maid asked, Maria adding, "It couldn't have lit itself."

"No, there's one person who could have done it." Ikuo began, "The owner! If the owner, whose car fell off the cliff, were actually alive, this would all make sense!" He looked frightened by the mere thought. "Y-Yes, it might have been a dummy or something in the car!" Maria gasped, agreeing with the theory. "I've heard a story like that." The librarian intoned.

"No, no." Heiji cut in, waving his hand. "That was _definitely_ the owner in the car." "I saw him, too. There's no mistake." Conan said and I quickly added, "Me, too! It was definitely the owner's body."

"_Then, who the hell did this_?!" Boyfriend – no, Kento – shouted, tears in his eyes. "There's no denying that someone killed Ayako!" He surged forward a bit, but was stopped by Ikuo, who let out a calming 'now, now'. "Anyway, it's clear that none of us could be the culprit." Mouri stated, "For now, let's go inside and wait for morning."

"Let's all go to the living room." Ikuo suggested.

The others walked away, heading for the house, but I stayed behind with Heiji, Conan, and Fujisawa. "Hmph, as if I would mistake a doll for a human being!" Heiji shouted after them, offended. "But, all the suspects were inside. Did they plant a timer in the garage?" Conan spoke up from Heiji's side, catching the Osakan's attention.

I walked closer to the two of them, leaving the paling Fujisawa behind me, as I observed their conversation. "No, there was no such thing." Conan's head tilted downwards just the slightest, "Then how did the culprit start the fire?"

Heiji deadpanned at the smaller, "We don't know that. That's why we're…," His sentence stopped abruptly as he noticed what he was doing, watching Conan start walking away absently, muttering to himself about the case. I snuck up behind the taller teen, throwing an arm around him again and breaking his concentration. "He's a pretty suspicious kid, isn't he?" I commented, watching my friend nod.

"Yeah…, he almost reminds me of you, Midori." He smirked in my direction in a joking manner, but I could sense the underlying truth. Hiding my nervousness, I released him and scratched my neck nervously. "Ah, come on, I'm not suspicious~! Anyways, let's go solve this mystery~!" Grabbing his wrist, I began to pull him back into the house, ignoring his protests.

"'Let's go solve this mystery?' You want to help?" He asked as he regained his footing when stumbling from my harsh pulling. I gave him a shark's grin over my shoulder, feeling determined and ready for anything now. "Yup! You turned me into you assistant, anyway, when you asked me to help you with the car earlier." I joked, before hiding my expression by turning my head.

_I was done playing games. Boyfriend has officially wearied down my last nerves. _

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – (Laughs) Yeah, she's a bit of an oddity, but I do that to and it's fun when you're bored. XDD And really? That's pretty cool. XD I love "Charlotte's Web", though, I don't like that she died. : Made me pretty sad. ;;; (Grins as Snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! **

**To: Raifuujin – Wow, it really has been quite a while! It's nice to see (?) ((Hear from?)) you again~! (Laughs) I'm glad everyone has taken a liking to Kin. XD I'm quite fond of him myself.;; And thank you! Despite me not owning her, she's quite a fun character to add to the story and use for plot devices and other things. XD Yay! I made someone squeal! 8DD When my sister read that line, she literally said, "Oh no…," and I was like 'lol, why that reaction? XD'. And yeah, the Holmes Freak murder! I'm really glad I finally made it to it, I've been looking forward to it! And yup, I remember when you brought that up a long time ago and couldn't resist to add it to the story! ^^ And yeah, Heiji does have a type of sixth sense for things like that. XD (Gives Kin catnip and fish) Thank you for the review (Kin says thanks for the catnip and fish) and the pokemon Giratana is awesome! Nuff said~! XD **

**To: MagicMilkbone – (Laughs) Yeah, she is pretty creepy. XD Psychics have always come to me as slightly creepy, for some reason. XD And Kin-chan is Kin-chan~! (Dodges Question like Izaya dodges a vending machine; not sure if you get this reference. XDD;;;) And yup~! Midori needs more friends, even if said friends are dangerous detectives who question her every move. XD And yeah, he doesn't like many people. They're just not his thing, I guess. Yup, she's magical, so he probably – definitely – has a preference for those types of people. XD And yay – a fellow Rise of the Guardians lover! (High Fives) Has it come to DVD where you are? You can buy it and then watch it more. 8D (My mom hates me now because of how many times I made her come see it with me; especially that one midnight showing.. ouch. XD;) **

**-Hope you enjoyed. I'm really, really, tired… Goodnight. ;;; **

"**Next Conan's Hint: The Holmes Test!"**


	33. Holmes Freak Murder Case (Part 3)

**A/N: This was fun, but slightly aggravating to write at the end. There was so much explaining! XDDD Oh well. Enjoy? ^^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form.**

Chapter Thirty Three

The rain outside was pouring, crashing down on the windows and ground like a rhythmic symphony of hooves. The sky was dark and gloomy, reflecting the atmosphere of the room we were all in. Ran, Conan, and I all stared out the windows, taking in the sight; it was nice to see a thunderstorm again after so long. I had kind of missed them. Thunder roared in the distance, breaking the silence. "It's pouring…," Ran commented.

"If this weather continues, it won't be easy to leave even when morning comes." Maria agreed in a roundabout fashion. "We've been up all night and my stomach's empty." Kogoro grumbled, staring out at the rain broodingly. Attention was brought to the maid as she asked, "Shall I bring out some refreshments?" Ran turned, "I'll help."

"I'll go, too." Ikuo said, pointing to himself, "We shouldn't let the woman go by themselves." Boyfriend chose that moment to stand from his chair, where he'd been 'miserable'. "Me too." Well, then. I hurried to stand up straight from my position leaning against the wall, following them out, "Oh, I'll go, too~!" We all headed out of the room in our small group, and I was practically skipping, having already come up with a – pretty lame – way of attack.

ooOOoo

We had just been walking back into the room, beverages all ready, when Heiji's loud voice yelled out, "It's because of lousy detectives like you that cases go unsolved!" Kogoro was in the direct line of his vindictive eyes, so it was easy to tell exactly who he was talking about. He was cut off by Ran. "How rude of you!" They both jumped at her voice, startled by her appearance. Wide eyes turned to her as she continued walking to the table, holding a tray of cups, Ikuo also holding one as he walked behind her. "Lately, dad's been solving all of his cases." She placed the tray on the table with a small clatter, glasses clinking together. "And because he looks like he's sleeping when he does his reasoning, he's been given the nickname 'Sleeping Kogoro'."

Hands upon her hips, she turned to look at her father, "Isn't that right, dad?"

Something clicked to Heiji as his eyes widened just the slightest, "Sleeping?" A sharp grin found its way onto my lips and I followed them slowly – unnoticeably – as Heiji rounded the table, grabbing Ran's arm along the way and bringing her to a corner in the room. "When your old man does his reasoning, where is he?" He questioned in a hush voice, Conan creeping up by his side to hear the conversation. His voice was dim, but gradually got louder as I came to stand on his right side, while Conan was at his left.

"'He'?" Ran was obviously confused and Heiji lifted his hand, covering one side of his mouth and leaving his lips hidden from my view. Not that it would help, I could hear what he was saying from my spot next to him. He wasn't a very good whisperer. "The one who sticks to you like glue – this kid." Conan was hauled from his spot on the floor, looking incredibly nervous and I blinked, hiding a loud laugh behind my hand, moving a bit away from the small group, as Boyfriend took a drink from his cup. Immediately, his face scrunched up and he was quick to spit it back, confused as he gazed down on his drink, still looking disgusted. That's what happens when you put four teaspoons of salt into water, I laughed internally.

Redirecting my attention, I turned back to the three that were somewhat far from me now. "Conan-kun? Come to think of it, he's never around." Heiji almost looked like he won the jackpot, "Really?" Conan looked like someone has just run over his dog. "Yeah, but sometimes he appears from behind dad and helps solve the case." Ran continued, oblivious to Conan's frantic flails. "From behind?" Heiji and Conan locked eyes as they glanced to each other – one paler than usual and the other smirking like a cat that had just eaten a canary. "_Oh~_ help from behind, do you?"

"I like playing detective!" His cover up was lameness at its best.

Suddenly, the lights when off with a click. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the darkness swiftly. "A-A black out?" Heiji called out, his silhouette stark against the shadows casted from the outside, lighting the room vaguely. "Could it be the lightening?" Ran asked, tone worried and perhaps a tad frightened. "No, it was just a fuse!" The maid answered from somewhere, as I couldn't pinpoint her. I shuffled forwards a bit before stopping short, a warm body trying to climb up my leg, claws leaving deep scratches upon the skin below the fabric of my pants.

"K-Kin-chan?" I voiced, startled as vivid, glowing eyes stared up at me from below, looking very much like something out of a horror film. Swallowing my apprehension, I quickly crouched and picked up the small cat, ignoring the pain that tingled in my side. Darn, that was going to be troublesome later, I just knew it. "Let's go and fix the circuit breaker." Mouri suggested. "Damn, at a time like this…," Someone grumbled from in front of me and I could vaguely tell it was Fujisawa by his bitter tone.

A burst of light blinded me, my eyes dilating at the sudden fire – Fujisawa had just opened his lighter, the small flame flickering and brightening the space around him. He walked forward and I sighed as he said, "Here, maid-san, let's use this light." I watched his form, waiting for it to be tackled to the ground as he was attacked, but instead, I found myself tumbling to the ground along with two other people. "What the–_Ah_!" My query was cut off as Kin startled, his claws accidently digging into my neck and cheek as something dug into my arm quite painfully.

"What is it?! What happened?!" Kogoro called and the sound of glass shattering echoed loudly through the room. "W-What was that sound?!" "The glass…," "Maid-san!" "Hurry with the lights!" Within that chaos, I finally realized what had happened and I clutched my arm, glaring daggers at nothing. Oh, Boyfriend, this is a direct challenge, you fool.

A choked groan left me as I curled into myself, the pain finally registering. Damn it, this _hurts_ like a gentleman!

Once again, I was blinded as the lights overhead flashed on and my eyes shut against the onslaught of brightness. "Watanabe-san! How…" Kogoro's voice was as gruff as always, but it brought my mind off the pain and I cracked an eye open slowly, looking down at Heiji and Conan, who were finally relieving me of their heavy weight. "Dad!" The older Mouri's attention was stolen by his daughter, "The window glass…!" I sat up, Kin still clinging to my neck and cheek like a lifeline. I really hope that doesn't mark…

"Damn! They fled through the window!"

By the triumphant smirks adorning both of the younger detectives' faces, I could tell they had figured out the trick to it all. A faint smirk shadowed my lips as I looked at them before I gazed down at my newly acquired wound once more and to Kin, who had finally released me from his claws, small wounds inflicted by him, to my side, which still ached.

…_This is ridiculous… _

ooOOoo

I had taken a seat at the table, the ice pick now out of my arm – that had been painful – and was currently glaring at Boyfriend beneath my lashes. Conan and Ran stood next to my chair and Heiji was leaning against the wall in the corner. I felt completely awkward with all the attention on me; seriously, the wound wasn't even deep, Boyfriend hadn't gotten a good thrust, due to Heiji and Conan's intervention. I would live and it actually didn't hurt as much when the weapon wasn't protruding from my arm. I was seriously starting to worry about what I'd be telling Kaito when I got home. 'Oh, sorry, I didn't actually go with Akako on a trip, instead I went to a Holmes convention, where two people were murdered and I got hurt trying to get into a car while the other time, I'd been attacked by the murderer, don't worry'? Yeah, I don't think so…

"Who could have done this?!" The maid shouted, tone frightened. I tuned out the conversation as Kogoro began to spew his theories about the owner being the murderer, instead focusing on my thoughts.

The questioned was…why did Boyfriend attack me instead? He'd be scheduled to attack Fujisawa, not me. There wasn't even a reason _to_ attack me; I was just another participant of the tour. What could have possible driven him to…wait a minute. Did he know that I knew he was the murderer? That would definitely explain why he tried to kill me – two can keep a secret if one is dead, after all – but then when would he killed Fujisawa? This attack had been unplanned and a fourth one would be pushing it. It'd be too risky. _Hm…_

But, it was possible that he would still attack Fujisawa; and since it'd be different from the original storyline – fate-line? – then he could actually be killed. It could be very well that my being here just screwed up the whole thing. Well, don't I feel like a home wrecker now…

"You're wasting your time." Heiji's voice sliced through my thoughts and I blinked, realizing Kogoro had made his way to the window, about to pursue the owner. Kin's tail flicked in amusement, brushing against my leg, from his place under my chair as I let out an amused huff of air. "You can search all you want, but you won't find the culprit." The Osakan walked forward, about to explain, before I cut him off with an aggravated sigh, chancing a glance at Boyfriend. Sending him a smirk, which obviously unnerved him by the drop of sweat rolling down his cheek, I decided to speed up the process of this a bit.

Answering to the older Mouri's 'what?', I began. "He's still in this room. The culprit is." I grinned wickedly at the shocked silence. I flexed my arm, glad that no muscles had been injured in Boyfriend's impromptu attack on me; seriously, if he had done permanent damage, I would drag him down to Akako's house and give him as a gift to her demon butler! My inner, admittedly malicious, thoughts weren't shown through as I continued. "You can tell by the chair angled oddly at the other end of the table. It was crammed in there hurriedly and there are even shards of glass sticking out of it. You wouldn't bother putting the chair back, unless you wanted it to look like an outside job."

Stares. Maybe this _wasn't_ such a good idea… "U-Uh, that's what Heiji-han told me, anyways!" I laughed nervously, ruffling my hair as I avoided the blue-green eyes giving me a suspicious look. _Not good, not good, not good, not good…_

The silence was broken when Heiji picked up 'his' deduction, toning down the oddly configured smile he'd given me, as if he'd figured out a secret. Shoot; I was pretty much screwed now, huh? "When the culprit broke the window, he probably held the chair with his bare hands. He wanted to wipe his fingerprints off, but it was too dark. So, to hide the fact that he used the chair, he put it back. When the lights came back on, he wiped off his fingerprints when no one was looking."

"W-When the lights came on?" Ikuo asked.

"Hold on a minute. We were the only people in the room at that moment…," Maria trailed worriedly. Heiji turned his head to regard everyone, "That's right. Is it clear to you now that the owner isn't the culprit? That means the culprit is here among us!" He announced, eyes scanning everyone. Regarding their expressions, they varied from frightened to angry (I'm sure you know who _that_ was) to worry. "Maid-san," Kogoro began, "When the lights went out, didn't you tell us that a fuse had blown out?" The maid nodded in affirmation. "Yes. When I tried to plug in the coffee maker, there was a sudden spark." She explained.

With the fuse in mind, we all headed out to the kitchen to survey the coffee maker plug. I scooped up Kin on my way, wanting him closer due to all the moving feet. I could only _imagine_ the ruckus he would make if someone stepped on his tail…

ooOOoo

"See!" The maid exclaimed. She pointed a slim finger to the outlet, one being used at the moment and the one at the top fried a black char color. "It's this outlet right here."

Heiji picked up the plug that had short circuited with a handkerchief, observing it closely. "It looks like someone wrapped a thin wire around the plug, so that it would cause a short circuit when plugged in." He presented the equally charred plug to Kogoro, who then took it to examine himself. Conan shuffled around in the back of him, shifting through the things on a table. "Hmm…But where did the culprit get the wire?" The older Mouri questioned.

Conan turned on cue, sweet smile on his face and holding something up, "Is this it? The label on the coffee maker has a wire on it." The tagged label was handed over to the Sleeping Kogoro, "Indeed, the thickness and length are just right." "Who opened the coffee?" Heiji asked. The maid glanced back at Boyfriend, Ikuo, and I, who were lingering near the doorway. "Kawatsu-san, Toganou-san, and Watanabe-san." She answered curtly. My gaze flickered to the two beside me, ignoring the need to poke and prod at my wound. It was a bad habit of mine; if I had a bruise, I poked it, and if I had a scrap, I'd prod at it. A morbid curiosity of pain, I suppose. I wasn't exactly sure _what_ it was.

When Mouri gave a small, triumphant, laugh, I almost felt like just laying out everything so that we didn't have to waste any more time, but something would happen in this kitchen that leads Heiji to his big 'is-Conan-actually-Kudou-Shinichi?' theory. So I let it slide as he started, "It's all clear now. That means you're the culprit Kawatsu-san." Ikuo immediately held his hands up in defense, sweating slightly. "J-Just a moment! There were four other people in the kitchen at that time!"

"You fool!" Kogoro cut him off, getting all up in his face. "Those other four have alibis for the first incident! You wrapped the wire on the plug while the other four weren't looking. You came back to the living room and waited for the blackout; then, in the darkness, you attacked Watanabe-san with an ice pick you had brought from the kitchen, using the faint light from Fujisawa-san's lighter and her cat's eyes as a guide. However, you encountered some unexpected obstacles and failed in killing her." The older detective turned to Heiji, "Hey, isn't that right?"

"Yeah…you're right about that much, but something doesn't seem to fit." Again, his gut feeling was amazing. He'd be a hard opponent, for sure; one to tread carefully around. He looked down at Conan, "Right, kid?"

Heiji's plan worked as Conan was too into the whole deduction and unraveling of the case that he wasn't bothering to put up his little kid façade. It was good to know that I wasn't the only one to do that. "Yeah, unlike the first and second cases, when Watanabe-san was attacked, the culprit was careless and left clues. It could be that he had not originally planned for the third case." His hand was on his chin and his tone was so serious and from my point in Midori's body, I was getting an odd sense of vertigo, like the world was becoming smaller and bigger. He knocked out of his trance-like state, noticing the stares, "Huh?"

"Conan-kun!" Ran gasped out and the shrunken Heisei Holmes was quick to compensate, reaching up to scratch the back of his head sheepishly. "But, I'm a kid, so I don't really know…," He laughed out slowly as Ran came up to his side, "Don't pay any attention to him, he just likes playing detective. Come with me." She apologized before whispering the last part to her young charge, pulling him off to another part of the room. Heiji stared after them, his thoughts whizzing through his eyes.

After a moment, I made my way up to his side and spoke up in a hushed voice after a while, "Strange kid, don't you think? …He must be hiding something." A grin spread across my face as he looked towards me, "Wanna ascertain our theories together~? We can catch the murderer at the same time, too~!" I hummed, a plan forming in my head.

Heiji stared before, slowly, a smirk formed on his face, too.

"What's your plan, Midori-han?" I blinked at the honorific being added again, but shrugged it off. "And I presume that you know the culprit already?"

"Why, of _course_, Sir Hattori~!" Mimicking a curtsey, my grin sharpened a fraction when I knew he couldn't see my expression.

Bingo~!

ooOOoo

We all walked back into main room and Maria spoke up, "But, isn't it strange, tantei-san?" Heads turned to her, "If Kawatsu-san really in the culprit, how would you explain how he started the fire in the second incident? Also, they said that the owner's car sped up on its own before it fell off the cliff in the first incident." Ikuo turned to Mouri, "E-Exactly!"

Heiji and I walked in side-by-side, "That's right." My companion intoned, "I have the second case mostly solved, but I'm still in the dark about the first." Our plan was already being put into motion and I held back a smile. The others' faces at the proclamation were hilarious; all shocked and surprised. "What?! You figured out how the fire was lit in the garage?" Maria gasped.

"Well, yeah." Heiji replied, quite modestly, hands in pocket. "Anyways, there are four things that are confusing me about the first case: why the owner was missing for an entire day; how the car suddenly sped up; the odd sound inside the car; and the blanket on the dashboard." Of course, he already knew all these things, since we'd compared theories and knowledge (though, I hadn't confirmed anything, so he was still technically solving the mystery). "And there's another point I failed to realize before: the owner was gripping the steering wheel tightly. Even though the road was bumpy, he managed to maintain his posture. That means by the time the owner was placed in the car, he was already dead, and rigor mortis had set in."

"R-Rigor mortis?"

"The human body begins to stiffen thirty minutes to two hours after death, and by nine to twelve hours, becomes entirely stiff. The stiffness continues until thirty hours after death, at which point, it gradually becomes limp again seventy hours after death." Heiji used his hand, clenching his hand and making it go limp as example. "If the owner's body was completely stiff at 3:30 AM, that means he was killed between 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM the previous day. In other words, sometime before dinner." Boyfriend's face was getting a bit pale as he stared at the Detective of the West. Heiji brought his hand to his chin. "What I don't understand is why the culprit felt it necessary to put him in the car so early."

"Maybe he wanted it to look like suicide." Boyfriend suggested and I rolled my eyes. Of course _you'd_ know, buddy. "The culprit murdered the owner before dinner and put him in the car. He then secured the owner's hands on the steering wheel and waited until rigor mortis set in. After dinner, the culprit went to the garage to start the car. In other words, the culprit must be one of you who left after dinner."

"Hey, now! You can't be so sure of that~!" I intervened, 'scolding' him lightly.

"Exactly. Then, why did the car speed up?" Maria countered. "It's not like a dead body could move on its own." Ikuo added. From the corner of my eyes, I watched Conan and Heiji have a revelation in synch. It was strange, but very interesting, to watch. They both smirked and I knew the culprit had been figured out completely.

"The culprit's identity…," Kogoro cut through the silence, making the two younger detective's surprised. "I know it!" He pointed a figure to the familiar, plump, woman in the room. "Yes, you are the culprit, fortune-teller Toda Maria-san!" As expected, she didn't react so well to the accusation. "W-What are you saying?!" Despite her tone, he only pushed forward. "You hypnotized the owner and made him drive the car off the cliff!" Heiji and Conan deadpanned, utterly unimpressed and I may have snorted in amusement.

My attention was captured by Conan's sugar-laced tone, "Hey, what happens to the body's rigor mortis if the temperature is raised? Does it happen faster? If that's the case, it's easy to solve, right?" Nice try, Shin-chan~!

Heiji looked at him a while longer before smiling, "I'm stupid, so I have no idea what you're talking about~" He crowed, making Conan's face dim in disappointment before he turned away to show an irritated expression. Then, he turned to me, smiling once more, "Don't _you_ know, Midori-oneesan? You're really smart!" Putting on my own version of Kaito's pokerface, I shook my head in faked disappointment. "Sorry, Conan-kun, but I don't know. I'm not exactly a fan of the whole detective fandom enough to know things like that." Internally, I hoped they used the words 'fandom' in this universe and I realized a second too late that that was a stupid thing to say, since I was at a Holmes Tour, for heaven's sake. I fought the urge to bang my head against the nearest wall.

"I'm going to the toilet." Conan announced and Heiji followed his figure with half-lidded eyes before saying, "Oh, I'll go then, too." I blinked, deciding to follow after and catch Conan in the act of darting poor Heiji and then rubbing it in his face later. "Ah, me too, me too~"

Heiji walked out the door and I saw him looking around, mumbling to himself and just as I walked out the door, closing it slightly, I heard a slight whiz and I spun around, briefly seeing Conan with a panicked look on his face suddenly – no doubt internally cursing for missing his intended target – and I felt something tiny pierce my neck, almost painlessly.

"B-_Brat_…," I hissed out before I swayed as the world became fuzzy and the drugs overtook my system as I came to sitting position on the other side of the door, hearing the faded out voices of an argument, before all became flashing, colorful, darkness.

Well, this was just even _more_ ridiculous…

ooOOoo

I woke to a large fist coming pounding down on my head and a raging voice immediately entered my ears, "That's exactly what happened, you idiot!" It was distinctly Kogoro's and I kept my eyes closed, fighting back the urge to smack him upside the head vindictively. "Dad!" Ran called out. "Who do you think your fooling, using that strange Kansai-ben?" Oh, that's right. Conan still has to imitate Kansai-ben as Midori. I swallowed back a laugh as the older Mouri continued, "Besides, you were with them when the owner's car started moving. How do you explain how Toganou-san started the car?"

"That's right. It does look impossible at first. But, if you use a certain device to alter the course of the rigor mortis, it's…possible." Conan's Midori voice ended the sentence uncertainly, trying to sound slightly more feminine – my speak wasn't overly girly, I used 'boku' and referred to others as 'omae' – and trying to add the Osaka-ben. It, overall, sounded completely hilarious and funny. Oh, Shinichi, work on your impersonating skills, would you? I heard a slight growl from behind me and I guessed Heiji was trying to fight back from saying something about the ridiculous dialect Conan was putting on.

"The trick is as follows: the owner, who was killed exactly one day ago, was seated in the car. His foot was secured in a position pressing the brake. After half a day, rigor mortis set in, and his foot was set in place. This way, even though the engine was on and the car was in gear, the car didn't move. Then, right before dinner last night, the murderer opened the garage door. When the body was starting to become limp again, the brake was released. The murderer returned to the living room to wait for the car to move…," Conan's careful deduction was interrupted by Kogoro…again.

"You fool!" He laughed gruffly, "Rigor mortis doesn't go away until forty hours have passed. Besides, like you said…," He sounded very smug, but was cut off.

"What if the car's temperature was raised? If the body is exposed to temperature about 35 degree Celsius, the speed of the rigor mortis and its subsequent softening will accelerate, allowing the body to become limp within twenty-four to thirty hours. The owner disappeared just after 10:00 PM the night before last. If he was killed immediately after that, that would mean twenty-nine hours passed before the car started moving. The timing is just right. The hissing sound in the car wasn't caused by the air conditioning, but the heater. If it were the air conditioner, there would have been drops of condensation beneath the tires."

"That's why you were checking the tire tracks with Hattori-kun, Midori-chan?" Ran asked.

"That's right. And we didn't find water drops anywhere." Conan answered to her in my voice. It was weird, like I was watching the whole thing from a third-person view perspective. Oddly like I'd just met my voice doppelganger. Goosebumps formed on my arms at the thought and I felt Kin's tail brush against me as he walked to my 'sleeping' form. "That kind of trick would be easy to figure out if you examined the body." Mouri-tantei said.

And, once again, in my voice, "That's why the owner's car was sent over the cliff. It becomes impossible to retrieve the body and examine the rigor mortis." Maria's voice spoke up next, "And what was the reason for the car's acceleration?" Geez, she was hooked on that. It was getting kind of annoying on how frequent someone asked about the acceleration. When you figure out the trick, it's actually pretty easy to guess what could have happened. I held my tongue.

"While driving over the bumpy road, the owner's foot must have slid off the brake pedal. And the blanket was used to hide the heater's display, so that people near the car couldn't see the display."

"I see!" Ikuo began, "If you witness that happening while inside with everyone else…," "You have a perfect alibi." Maria finished for him. "So, that was the reason why Toganou-san insisted Ayako-san stay in the living room? He just needed a witness?" Ran sounded desolate at the news and I almost felt bad for her. _Almost_. She wasn't the one who got sheared in the arm with an _ice pick_ and a large gash in her side from _car window_ glass. "Exactly! And the one person who could have done that was Ayako-san, who came with Toganou-san." My voice replied.

Suddenly, Boyfriend was laughing. I could tell it was him by his unpleasant, snide, way of laughing; so mocking, as if he believed he was a king. "Interesting. Your reasoning sounds like something out of a mystery novel. But, unfortunately, you have no proof." That was telling enough that he was the real criminal. A phrase of my sister's flashed in my mind; _"Every criminal in Detective Conan always demands proof when their guilty!" _

How right she was.

Boyfriend continued, "And besides, I was with everyone when the garage went up in flames. No matter how you think, for me to be responsible for that fire, it's…," "It's possible! And very simple. All you had to say to her was: 'The first edition of Holmes is hidden under the backseat of the car'." I could almost see his expression in my mind and I had to stop from grinning up at him from my spot on the floor; I still had to act asleep, all for the show. This had _not _been part of the plan, but it was still working well. Everything'd go according to plan.

"The first edition?" Mouri questioned, "Hey, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Have you forgotten?" Conan started again, "The car that was in the garage had a hole in the gas tank and it's battery was dead. You want to find the book, but the light's don't work, and it's dark under the backseat. What would you do in that situation?" I tried not to focus on the details, not wanting to dwell on Ayako's death and my failing to stop it. Guess that's why in Doctor Who, they can never change a fixed point in time. It'd ruin everything. I should've figured; the Doctor would probably be scolding me right now. I groaned internally. I'm so stupid…

"It would be difficult to do a search in the dark, so I'd use a lighter or something…I see! The lighter!" Kogoro had his revelation moment. "When Ayako-san lit her lighter to find the book, the flame ignited the gasoline." The maid seemed to find it difficult to process, "So, you're saying that she lit the fire herself?"

"But, didn't you say she was a valuable witness for the first case?" Ikuo's tone was disbelieving, as well.

"Coincidentally, there were five other witnesses besides her. There was no reason to keep her alive." "But! Isn't Ayako-san Toganou-san's girlfriend? Then, why…?" Ran protested and I once again had to resist a retort on the tip of my tongue. Just because she was so in love with Shinichi, doesn't mean that everyone had the same types of morals she did when it came to love.

"She figured it out. She knew the rigor mortis trick and had the proof to implicate Toganou-san. Don't you remember? When Ayako-san announced that she knew who the killer was, Toganou-san became worried. Pretending to be anxious about her safety, he went to find her after I came back to the room and told her about the book in the garage."

"Come to think of it, he was the only person who could have time alone with her, besides you, at that time." Ikuo said and Maria added, "That's why her attitude changed after she went to the bathroom. It's impressive that you figured out the garage trick."

"No, that trick was actually a trap set up specifically for another person. Fortunately for the culprit, this person also owned a lighter, just like Ayako-san. That's right…the trap in the garage was set up for Fujisawa-san." "W-What?!" Yup, it's pretty hard to accept the fact that someone had been trying to kill you, but suck it up Fujisawa. You actually hadn't been attacked, due to my tampering. The shrunken Shinichi went on, "The murderer left that card under Fujisawa's door, hoping to draw him into the garage, so he could kill him. However, he had to kill Ayako-san using that trap, so he devised the backup plan at the last minute in order to kill Fujisawa-san with the ice pick. But, due to him thinking I knew it was him; he decided to attack me instead, to silence any potential loose-ends."

"I see…," Kogoro trailed. "That's why there were so many clues for the third case."

"It would have been easy for Toganou-san to tamper with the plug since he was in the kitchen. Therefore, he is the only one who could have committed all three crimes!" "–If that's the case, show me the proof! If you think you're so sure, you must have some proof, right?" Persistent boy, when will you ever give up? Again, my sister's phrase came to mind; she only speak the truth, I laughed in my head.

"Huh? Didn't you know? Ayako-san saw it yesterday in your room at lunchtime yesterday – a certain _something_."

"Even if she saw something yesterday, she's not here to say anything anymore!" " –Question one: is Holmes right-handed or left-handed? Question two: what is Doctor Watson's wife's name?"

"What with the questions all of a sudden?!" Boyfriend shouted, enraged. 'My' voice stayed calm as ever, though. "Oh? Have you forgotten? There were the questions on the one-thousand-question Sherlock Holmes quiz. Next, question two-hundred-forty-one…what was the content of the message Holmes wrote using the Dancing Men?" Boyfriend was quick to try to save himself, "Oh, that question. I remember that one well. The answer was, 'Come here at once!'."

The gloomy librarian's voice broke his vote of confidence, "There was no such question on the quiz…," "Huh?"

"The question involving the Dancing Men….that one, yeah!" "'Accurately reproduce all of the dancing figures from the story'." With the support of the other participant's, 'I' continued decking out 'my' reasoning, "That's right. That was the difficult question, and a harder one still, to forget. Isn't it odd that you don't remember that question?" 'My' voice was practically crooning with success and I almost banged my head against the door behind me. Shinichi was making me sound like a weird, detective, creeper!

"T-That is…!"

"Ayako-san went to your room to cheat off your paper, but you weren't in your room. You must have gone to the garage to check on the owner's rigor mortis." Ran was quick to catch on. "So, the thing that Ayako-san saw was…," The angel-esque teen trailed. "That's right….a blank quiz paper with no answers whatsoever. Why didn't you answer any questions? Because you knew it was pointless. You knew that the person who was going to grade the quizzes was no longer among the living. If you still insist on lying, please show us your quiz paper. Right now!"

There was a telling thump as Boyfriend gave up, slumping down onto the ground on his knees. I cracked my eyes open a bit, peeking through my lashes at the surrounding people. "D-Damn!" He cursed and I saw Fujisawa walk up to him. "You!" Fujisawa gave into rage, grabbing the collar of Boyfriend and physically hauling him off of his knees. "Tell me! Why?! Why did you kill the owner and want to kill me?!"

Again, my voice was used by Shinichi, cutting off the impending scuffled. "_The Scorn of Irene Adler._ The motive is probably the book that you and the owner worked on together." "What?!" Yes, yes, Fujisawa. You'd been wanted dead because of a _book_. Just wait. It gets worst.

"Wasn't Irene the actress that outwitted Sherlock Holmes?" Ran asked the maid, who was standing next to her. The maid nodded. "Yeah, but the owner's book wrote it off as Holmes' faulty deduction."

"I see. He felt that the book ridiculed Holmes, and…," Ikuo thought out loud. Boyfriend corrected him, though, "You've got it backwards. Irene was the only woman Sherlock Holmes acknowledged. I can't believe she would mock Sherlock." Surprised with his ridiculous reason, Fujisawa released him and took a step back from the one-again fallen man. I could make out some tears gathering in the corner of Boyfriend's eyes, "I couldn't forgive it. I couldn't…!" With that, all the fight left in Boyfriend left me for grief and I couldn't help but think one thing to myself.

Boyfriend definitely was a nut.

A few moments later, I pretended to wake up, yawning a big, fake, yawn for good measure. Ran walked up to me, "That was amazing, Midori-chan! You're so young but so smart!" She complimented me and I heard Conan panicking behind the door. Smirking, I looked up at her. "Ah, no, no~ I owe all my help to Heiji-han! He told me everything before going to the bathroom! Said I could do the deduction, 'cause he might take a while." Sorry, Heiji, I snickered.

"Conan-kun?" Ran called, walking over to the kitchen, glancing around for the familiar short stature, "Conan-kun?" She disappeared around the doorframe.

Conan finally rounded the door, followed by Heiji, who looked oddly serious as he leaned against the door beside me as I stood up, feeling slightly off from the tranquilizer. "I'm right here, Ran-neechan!" The shrunken Detective of the East shouted after his crush. "Hey." Heiji called, making Conan look up with a pale, shaky-smiled, expression (he looked like he'd just seen someone die and come back to life). Heiji had seen him deduce, so his second identity was hanging on by the skin of its teeth. "You're Kudou, aren't you?"

If possible, Conan's face went paler and his eyes wider as his smile disappeared and his eyes flickered to me in well-founded dread. "W-W-W-What are you talking about? I'm a kid. Just a kid." He tried and I swiftly crouched down before him. "Stop playing games! You're Osaka-ben was ear-wrenching and I saw you after you freakin' tranquilized me with your funky watch. Not to mention your bowtie! Heiji and I discussed this earlier, but I didn't expect to get darted." I complained, poking his forehead gently repeatedly.

"W-When did you figure out?" He questioned the both of us, voice dry as if it had been sucked away.

"'…He was the only one who could have committed three crimes'." Heiji mimicked, crouching to get into Conan – no, Shinichi's face, too, "Even though the dialect was odd, the reasoning and expression were unmistakably that of Kudou Shinichi." I added my two coins, "And you were always odd; your act is crumbling and you reeked of a detective~!" He still seemed reluctant to admit it, "Don't be silly, I'm just a kid!"

"Oh, I see…," Heiji muttered before standing and I followed his lead. "Hey, listen," Heiji waved to Ran and I quickly waved, too, enjoying Conan's pale, sweating, face a bit too much; it was nice to see him so discomposed for once. "I've got a real interesting story~! You know what? The truth is…" We dragged the words mockingly in unison, knowing he'd break soon.

"_Wait a minute…!"_

ooOOoo

"So, you were shrunken by a poison, huh?" Heiji hummed curiously.

We were all currently in a bus, heading to our destination. I'd finally whipped out my cellphone later on and phoned the police and now we were all on our way back. To say Heiji had given me a look was an understatement; it seemed he trusted me to the extent of revealing Shinichi's real identity, but didn't think I wasn't suspicious just yet. It'd probably take some time. Oh well, plenty of time in the world, after all. It was morning now, day bright and shining, and I was fighting to keep my eyes open the whole ride.

"And in order to find information about the syndicate, you're living at the home of the girl you like." Heiji continued. "Who says I like her? That tiresome girl…," Shinichi grumbled, a blush covering his cheeks.

I was leaning over the back of the seat, sitting in front of the two as Kin and I peered down at them from our taller height. "Sounds legit." I joked, getting a small glare from Conan. "You don't seem surprised by this at all." Conan said dryly, suspiciously. I grinned back at him, dangling my arms downwards and then pinching his cheek lightly, "Surprisingly enough, this isn't the weirdest thing I've had to deal with in my life~!" Dimension hopping was definitely a lot bigger than shrinking. And I'd been through both. Nothing much would surprise me anymore, even if chicken little suddenly rounded the corner and said the sky was falling, I'd be half inclined to believe.

"You've dealt with stranger things?" Heiji asked curiously and Conan raised a brow for me to continue, but before I could, Ran came up to all three of us from behind the boys' seat. "Oh! You three are getting along well, aren't you?" She questioned rhetorically, happy. "Uh….Yeah!" Conan agreed.

"So, you want to know what Kudou said about you last time?" Heiji chimed in, Conan's expression doing a three-sixty. "He said you were puzzling and hard to bear."

"Puzzling?" Ran leaned forward onto the seat back.

"Yeah~! Puzzling things are always liked by detectives. I bet Kudou-han will end up confessing to you in London~!" I laughed, watching as she turned red and decided to retreat for now. I glanced down at Heiji, extending my clenched fist and, at the sign, he gave me a small fist bump, both of us grinning at Conan's misfortune as he grumbled to us.

I think we made quite a team Heiji and I.

_Now_….how to explain my wounds to Kaito?

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**To: Iriss-sama – Haha, it's okay. XD And don't worry about it~! Everyone has days they forget and stuff – I do that all the time. XD And yeah, I had a sort of hard time writing that, thinking about how someone would react in that type of situation, and that's how it ended up. I'm glad I was able to get the emotion right enough for that the happen. Yes, yes~! Be infected by the Heiji disease! XD He's awesome, lol! And yeah, his reactions to the wounds will be fun to write. XD And here's the next chapter~! I wanted her to beat his ass, but since I couldn't find a way to fit it in, it didn't work out so well…. ;;; (lol, yup, that's what you call being caught in a story. XD) Thank you for the luck~! (Gathers Luck and Sews Hat) ((Lucky Hat~!)) **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Ah, yeah. XD I haven't watched the movie in a while, too, but I remember feeling so bad after that, since Charlotte died. I didn't cry, but it was still really sad. (Laughs) Yup~! A fixed point in time can't be changed~! Yay! Another Whovian! 8DDD (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~!**

**-Whoo, hope this turned out okay. XD A big case is coming next time! **

"**Next Revolver Hint: Symmetrical!"**


	34. MS: The Time-bombed Skyscraper

**A/N: This case. Oh, this case…. I'm so glad it's over. I was going to do a lot more, with more explosion encounters, but I felt that was overkill and this movie was mostly Shinichi/Ran with the police force – the Detective Boys barely show up – and so it was hard to figure out how to do this. But, nooooo, I just had to do a movie, didn't I? XDD I'm such a sucker when I talk myself into things, lol. All movie specials will be labeled MS for Movie Special and the whole case will be in one chapter, so, if it's super long, or if it's decently long (decently long is this; superbly long is where it gets to, at least, twenty thousand words). So, warning to all. MS usually stands for "absurdly long chapter". XD Enjoy? I had a bit of trouble with this… ;;; I should probably get to sleep…I haven't slept… **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) **

Chapter Thirty Four – Movie Special: The Time-bombed Skyscraper

_I'm Koizumi Alice, a normal elementary student. Or, that's what everyone thinks, at least. I'm actually a teen from another dimension, trapped in this dimension, which also happens to be my favorite anime, Detective Conan. When on a trip to Kansas with my family, I was sucked out of a museum midday and ended up in another one in the middle of the night! _

_After wandering a bit, I ran into Gin and Vodka and realized what had happened, only to get myself shrunken by Apotoxin 4869. With nowhere to stay and not willing to tell anyone about me just yet, I commuted to Ekoda, where I then ran into Kuroba Kaito, who took me in – wherein, I then met Koizumi Akako who told me that I need to secure a certain gem to get back home. Helping me, she gave a bracelet that can change me into my regular body, thus creating my other identity, Koizumi Midori (also known as Watanabe Midori). Koizumi Midori isn't very known among the characters just yet, having only 'met' Mouri Kogoro, Mouri Ran, Edogawa Conan, and Hattori Heiji. Working with Heiji, though, I had 'cracked' Conan's identity of being Kudou Shinichi and am now in their little circle of secret-keepers. A friend of 'Koizumi Midori' is Ryukaze Erise, a teenager who goes to the same high school as Kaito, Ekoda High. _

_Living under the alias of Koizumi Alice, I continued days in elementary school, eventually befriending Conan and becoming a member of the Detective Boys. Eventually becoming good friends with Agasa Hiroshi, as well, I help him with making inventions now and again. _

_Mentioning the professor, let me introduce some of the inventions he and I have made together so far! First, there's the Turbo Engine Skateboard 2.0; just as it's said, it's the same as Conan's Turbo Engine Skateboard, but it has the extra feature of strapping your back foot to the board for balance, only to release you once a special command word is said. Another is the Power-Enhancing Bracelet. Based off of Conan's Power-Enhancing Kick Shoes, it's a decently sized, metal, bracelet that you can wear and if you click a button, it extends to form a baseball bat. Using electricity and magnetic fields, it stimulates the muscles in your arms and allows you to give a tremendously strong swing. Due to its small, compact-ness, it's quite a useful tool. _

_So enthralled into the story, my days of living have become less than peaceful and quiet. _

_But, I can't say I'm too bothered by it. _

ooOOoo

When the bus we were on finally arrived near Beika, I got off at my stop, bidding Heiji a farewell – Conan, Ran, and Kogoro had gotten off at the stop right before mine; a lucky break, if you ask me. Akako's car was waiting there already and I raised a brow in exasperation as I noticed that the creepy butler was driver once more. "Yo, you're here early." I commented with a sideways smirk, opening the back door and dropping my bag inside before scooting in.

Akako, who was in the passenger seat, turned to regard me with an interested eye, "Lucifer told me you'd be returning a bit earlier today."

I deadpanned, glancing over to her. "Why does Lucifer keep tabs on me…?" That was a bit of an unnerving thought. She smirked in my direction before turning back to the front. "Perhaps he likes you." She answered shortly before taking a look to her butler, who looked oddly stiff. "What is it?" She snapped, annoyed that he hadn't started driving yet. He swallowed thickly, "It seems, Akako-sama, that Midori-sama has been injured on her trip." I blinked before giving a nervous grin. How would he know that?

Akako's gaze once again slid to me, where I shifted uncomfortably. "Oh? Where are you injured now?" She sounded incredibly amused at my misfortune and I scowled lightly, pointing to my bicep and to my side. She gave small laugh before rolling down the window, "Sorry, but we'll have to keep this open." Curiously, I asked, "Why's that?"

"Didn't you know? Demons are especially sensitive to the smell of blood." The car started to drive, again in its slightly erratic way.

Well…that was comforting.

ooOOoo

A week had passed.

After we had arrived back at the Kuroba household last Sunday, as expected, Kaito had pretty much freaked out about my newly founded wounds. But, due to my childish – lie – of falling off the edge of a cliff (yes, I know, not the best lie ever, but it worked out okay), Akako had been spared from _too_ muchscolding; though, she had been 'forbidden' from taking me 'camping' ever again. For being 'inattentive', as he'd put it. Either way, his reaction had been amusing and hilarious and the wounds wouldn't last more than two weeks, since they weren't that deep.

I had, also, acquired Heiji's phone number on Sunday before we parted ways, so I would definitely be using that in the future. It was basically a win-win situation, the Holmes Freak Murder Case. I'd learned that I shouldn't change the course of events in the main story and should probably try not to get too involved. I say 'too involved' because getting involved is inevitable for me; it was too interesting to resist. I blinked back out of my thoughts when Agasa opened an umbrella in front of me. Currently, I was at his house, just hanging out and chilling like another normal school kid on a Friday afternoon. I think Agasa was starting to think that I had too much free time, but I don't think he minded the company.

"Look, Alice-kun! One of your invention ideas!" He smiled joyously, presenting the umbrella. It looked kind of odd, the plastic cover looking metallic yet see-through and the handle crooked at the end, a small red button on it. I peered at it curiously, sitting on his bed. The idea registered once I remembered it, "Ah! Is that the bulletproof umbrella?!" I gasped, leaning forward excitedly and he placed it in my hands for examination. It was heavy, but not at all weighing down and would be relatively easy to carry around. It was an adult-sized umbrella, but was also small enough to be used for a child. Convenient.

"Yes! It can also withstand a small explosion and dig into the base of the ground by the hook that extends from the tips!" He took it gently back, holding it far from us, and clicking the red button from earlier. Pointed hooks extended from all the tips around the umbrella, allowing for attaching at any angle. "I figured it might come in handy." He chuckled. I nodded ecstatically, proud with our creation. "It turned out nice, Hakase!" I grinned, complimenting him on his workmanship. Seriously, if I had tried, I think I would have given up the first time it, most likely, exploded on me. Gotta give him mad props for that.

"Thank you, Alice-kun!" He cheered, looking incredibly happy with himself.

"No problem!" I hummed back, examining it before an announcement from the TV caught my attention. I put the umbrella down; turning to see what was going on. "_Kurokawa Daizo was murdered a few days ago, and the famous detective, Mouri Kogoro, solved the murder, involving Nagasawa Manami, his maid, as the culprit…_" The woman on the TV said stiffly, wearing a completely fake smile as she told the news. Blinking, I shrugged it off, and turned back to the professor.

"Hey, Hakase, how's the special project coming along?"

He looked to me before leaning in to whisper conspiringly, "It's turning out pretty well. It'll still take some time to get the mechanics correct, but I'll get it eventually. It should be done soon!" He winked, pulling back, "It's complicated, but no match for a genius!" He gave a laugh.

I smiled encouragingly, "I'm sure you'll get it!" Flashing him a thumbs up, he suddenly lit up in remembrance. "That's right! I have something for you, Alice-kun." He turned to rummage through a pile of, what seemed like, scraps. Watching him curiously, he turned back to me, offering out a small object. Or to be more exact, a small badge. "Is that…?" I trailed, not sure, as I felt excitement fill my chest. He gave me a wide smile.

"Correct! This is your Detective Boys badge!" He presented, handing over the small device.

I took it gently, feeling the cold metal cool my fingers, looking bigger now that it was in my tinier hand, almost the size of my palm. The difference gave me a sense of vertigo, feel my eyes widen slightly. Finally, a grin spread across my lips, "Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!" My tone oozed my happiness as I clutched it closer, like someone was about to snatch it away. This officially made me a member of the Detective Boys and the sense of complete acceptance was very well welcomed.

The professor chuckled, "You're welcome, Alice-kun."

ooOOoo

Later that day and I found myself at Akako's house once more. Once again sitting upside down on her couch, but this time I was flipping through magazines I had picked up from Kaito's room. Almost to be expected, they were filled with photos of diamonds and gems galore; reference no doubt. I flinched as the door opened and Akako came striding in, "Is it just me or is this becoming a frequent occurrence?" She questioned, raising a brow at my prone form, before moving over to look through some stuff on the top of the hearth – the skull was pushed to the side carelessly.

I laughed, absently flipping another page, browsing lazily over the pictures. I was currently in the necklace section, all the gems embedded in fancy silvers and golden latchets. Not too interesting or a candidate for the gem I was looking for. I'm assuming that it'd be a normal gem; otherwise it wouldn't have been able to reattach itself due to the framing. It wouldn't fit. "Well, you know, it's easier to plan a heist at your house. Besides, Kaito-niichan is hanging out with Aoko right now."

She gave one of her creepy laughs, still shuffling through things; plastic bags, if I went by the sound. "I see. Finally going to put your foolish plan into action, are you?" She let out a quiet hum as she finally found what she had been looking for, walking to the side table with a bag full of a plant of some sort. Raising a brow and taking my eyes away from the page of jewelry, I looked over to her as she took out one plant carefully, the root still attached at the bottom of it and some berries dotting the plant. "What's that?"

"Atropa Belladonna."

I jolted away, almost falling off the couch and straining at my still-healing side wound; the arm wound had basically already finished healing, only leaving a small soft spot of flesh that would go away within the next week. "Deadly Nightshade?! Why do you have that?!" I screeched, wondering if she was planning on poisoning me or someone else. She gave a bemused smirk as she continued with pulling off the root and placing it in a bowl that hadn't been there a second before. Darn witches.

"What I find amusing about you, Alice, is that you know about the strangest things." She intoned calmly, starting to grind down the root in the bowl with a masher. "Most your age don't care for Greek mythology or for knowing the proper names of plants."

I blinked, relaxing a bit and letting my head loll off the edge of the seat as I watched her do whatever she was doing. "I'm just curious, I guess. I always find myself drifting off my course of plan and doing something else." I shrugged, answering honestly. It was a really bad habit of mine and it made it hard to get _anything_ done, but it was also a good thing to have; you never know when you might need to know something, after all.

"Hm, I should've expected that. They've always been curious creatures." She snickered as she continued mashing the poisonous plant. Glancing over to her, I asked, "What? Humans?" She paused briefly to turn and stare at me for an uncomfortable amount of time before she went back to mashing, a smile flitting on her lips. "Yes, humans." Was it just me or was her tone ironic? Disregarding it – she was Akako, after all – I brought the magazine back up and began to look for possible candidates again.

The next page was filled to the brim with decently sized prizes, but most of them were all decked out with the highest security, and I wanted to start on a smaller scale and work up from there; no need to take unnecessary risks, after all. I didn't feel like living in a prison cell for _attempting_ grand larceny. "Hey, Akako-neesan…," I trailed, "What are you making, anyways?" I couldn't contain my curiosity on the subject of what she was doing with Deadly Nightshade.

She smirked as she continued her work, finally finishing mashing the root into a mushy substance and she went back to the hearth to gather more material, bringing the bag of nightshade to put it back, as she didn't need it anymore. This time, I heard the clinking of cans and jars hitting each other as they were moved around. "_Dorei_!" She barked suddenly, startling me, and her butler appeared in the doorway of the other hall, the one connecting to the further side of the house and not the hall to the entrance. I swear, this house was like a maze. "Go get the Conium Maculatum! It's in the third dungeon." She ordered swiftly and he disappeared down the hall once more.

I didn't even bother asking about what the 'third dungeon' was.

I didn't want to know.

"I'm making a potion that someone requested." She said, gathering a couple jars and bringing them over to the tiny side table. I was a bit worried that everything wouldn't fit on it, but I was proven wrong as she reached down and snapped up an attached extended end of it. She placed the jars on it easily, the contents of them several different plants and other strange-looking things. I didn't dwell, deciding not to act upon what looked like lizards' tails, and turned my eyes back to the magazine.

"Requested? You own a witch's store or something?" I joked, flipping another smooth page carelessly. More high-security gems. I clicked my tongue in annoyance; this was gonna take a while. "Actually, I do." She commented and I could hear her mashing more things into the bowl with the nightshade root. "Surprisingly, I get a lot of business. I started it when I was about your age. My father thought it was foolish, but he eventually found that it was a good source of income for the clan."

"And why exactly does the Koizumi clan need good income?" I chuckled before shaking my head, "No, nevermind. Don't tell me." She gave a wind-chime laugh before saying, almost randomly, "Try page fourteen." "Huh?" "Try page fourteen, you may find good results." My brows furred before I decided to do as told, flipping to page fourteen. The gems on this page were considerably smaller to the ones earlier and the pages didn't look touched at all; figures, since Kaito was looking for a big gem. Though, I don't see why. It said Pandora was a doublet, but doublets don't _necessarily_ need to be _large._

Suddenly, a certain gem caught my eyes. It was going to be displayed in public next week, in a virtually low-security museum. It'd be opened for the public the whole weekend before it was once again transported back to Paris Museum of Natural History, where it was originally kept. The gem itself was named The Ruspoli Sapphire Crystal and true to its name, the color of it was a bright baby blue and it was cut in a strange, rectangular shape. It weighed 133.06 carats, according to the writer of the magazine; a good size.

It was a perfect candidate for my first heist.

"Wow~! This is great! Thanks, Akako-neesan!" I chimed happily, sitting up, the blood rushing down from my head as I swung my legs around the top to the bottom once more. "But, how'd you know that it'd be on page fourteen, hm? Any other pieces of advice?" Licking my dry lips, I watched as she put down the masher – the substance in the bowl now a scarlet color with the added ingredients– and put her hands on her hips. "Yes, I do have another piece of advice." She ignored my previous question, "On the bottom of your heist note, you should put some type of code for your chosen name. You do have a chosen or preferred name you'd like to be called, right?"

"Of course~!" I grinned, cheeks hurting from the large size of it as the butler walked back in, handing the bag full of Hemlock to Akako, who immediately set to mashing it in the scarlet potion. "Get this, the code is: _37.4 F, the 333-9_. You think they'll get it?" I laughed raucously, fully amused with my inner workings.

She gave a shrill laugh after a moment of staring into my eyes (unnervingly so), "I'm sure the police won't, they're not one for fine literature." Finishing the mashing, she took the masher out of the substance and wiped it off before putting it on the table. She grabbed an empty jar that she'd brought with her from the hearth, pouring the stuff in the bowl into the jar; it sloshed into it noisily, thick and wet. "But, one of the detectives you've been telling me about will definitely understand it, I'm sure."

I smirked as I stood and stretched, satisfied with the chosen gem and the code and about to go raid the witch's house for a computer for further planning. "I'm sure, too~!"

"Oh? Are you planning to introduce yourself to this world with a bang?" She sounded just as amused as I did. We definitely were dimensionally related.

"Of course, dear sister~!"

ooOOoo

I got home just in time for dinner, backpack hanging from one arm and yawning. "I'm home!" I called and I blinked as Aoko popped her head out of the kitchen as I walked into the living room, shoes long took off and Kin was quick to wrap around my ankles. I had him stay home that day and he was acting like a man dying from dehydration had just seen a big jar of water. I rolled my eyes fondly; drama queen.

"Oh, Alice-chan!" The female teen exclaimed warmly, "Welcome back home! I hope you don't mind that I'll be staying over for dinner tonight." She smiled. Looking at her now, it was easy to tell Aoko and Ran apart; they had several differences. While Ran had soft freckles dotting her face due to her paler skin, Aoko's face was free of any, her skin tanner than Ran's. Aoko was definitely a bit shorter than Ran, too, not looking as tall as the other, and her hair was shorter and not as smooth-looking. While Ran's hair was long, smooth, and flowing, Aoko's hair was wild, cut, and breezily flowing around her face. They both had different looks and tones about them but both were equally beautiful.

"I don't mind, Aoko-neesan! As long as you're cooking. Kaito-niichan just cooks the same things over and over again." I whined lightly, spotting Kaito on the couch as he waved to me, pouting all the while. I shot him a sweet smile as Aoko laughed before heading back into the kitchen. She probably was cooking then. Good. "Alice-chan~!" Kaito whined in a similar tone to mine from earlier, and he reached over and picked me up suddenly, dragging me away from Kin and into his lap. "You're so mean~! You told me that you love my curry!"

I squirmed in surprise before relaxing, slumping back into his chest. "I do like you curry, Kaito-niichan. It's just…not when we have it four days a week." I explained half-heartedly as he fake-cried into my hair. Kin hissed up at Kaito as he continued to hold me and I suddenly had the odd feeling of being the favorite toy of two fighting children. They're both drama queens, I decided, patting my lap as an indication and Kin jumped up to lay in my lap and I let him chew on my finger, if only for the sake of him not biting Kaito. Again. That would make the fifth time; I'm really surprised Kaito hasn't kicked him out yet.

"But, but, Alice-chan! You know that I only know basic cooking." He sniffled into my hair, pulling me closer and getting a sour glare from a pair of golden eyes. Oh boy.

"I know, Kaito-niichan. It's okay, really." I comforted the 'sad' teen, patting his arm awkwardly. "A-Anyways, Aoko-neesan's food surpasses yours by default. She's a way better cook than you. No offense!" I quickly added and I heard him chuckle behind my ear before he pulled back with a dramatic huff. "Oh well~!" One hand was placed on his forehead. "I suppose I could never surpass Aoko's amazing cooking skills~!" He bellowed and I heard Aoko laugh from within the kitchen as something began to fry.

I scratched behind Kin's ears, earning a purr, and leaned back into Kaito comfortably as he also leaned back, turning on the TV as he began to smooth out my hair absently.

With the noise of the frying in the background and the television commercials, and Kin's soft fur beneath my fingers, I quirked a smile. It almost felt like we were a family.

ooOOoo

Saturday was sunny and warm, the heat warming your skin as you stepped outside. The rays of the sun were bright and the sky was so blue that you almost felt faint; it was a very lovely day to be outside. But where did I decide to go instead? Why, Professor Agasa's house. I would've gone to go to the park with the Detective Boys, but Agasa had called me over, saying that he needed my reference on the secret project. And what more was I to do than indulge him? Besides, it was the appearance that he wanted to consult me on and I had an idea of how I wanted it to look to; I'd make it personalized.

Once I got to the door, I hurried inside, wanting to get away from a yellow – poisonous! – spider that was beginning to slide down on its web towards me. The door shut behind me and I sighed in relief, taking off my sneakers. "Yo, Hakase! I'm here!" I called out, walking further inside and as I made it to the main room, the professor was holding a coffee pot and Conan was lying on the professor's bed. "Ah, Edogawa-kun." I blinked and he looked over to me from his place on the bed, about to say something, before something on the news caught all of our attention.

"_On the day before yesterday_," The man on the news was saying, wearing a snazzy suit. "_A large quantity of explosives, including Octogen, was stolen from the Toyo Chemical Company's warehouse. The police have mobilized over a hundred officers to investigate, but so far, there have been no leads._" I wandered closer, as did Agasa, holding a mug of coffee. "That sounds like a big case." The professor commented as Conan sat up from his position on the bed.

Conan turned to us, face serious, "Yeah, especially since Octogen is the primary component for plastic explosives." Octogen – also known as HMX; a powerful and relatively insensitive nitroamine high explosive and one of the most potent chemical explosives manufactured. That didn't sound too good in my head…

In the background, the man on the television continued, "_Last night in Haido, there was a large fire at the Kurokawa Estate, which also caused damage to surrounding buildings._" We all turned to look at the television, showcasing the damage of the fire, one building engulfed in orange and yellow flames. "That house…That's Kurokawa-san's house!" Conan exclaimed, leaning forward. My brows furrowed. "Wasn't that the place where someone was murdered?" I questioned the professor, who nodded.

"_The method was similar to previous fires and the police suspect this was set by the same culprit._" Agasa frowned up at the ceiling, "There have been quite a few fires recently." Have there been? My lack of knowledge of that showed how much I paid attention to the world around me that didn't have anything to do with main characters. Perhaps I shouldn't do that anymore. A ring of the telephone interrupted my train of thoughts and I looked over to the outdated phone as the professor went to pick it up.

Conan grabbed the remote, lowering the volume to zero, so that the professor could hear the caller. I hopped up onto the foot of the bed, a sinking feeling in my stomach. This was starting to sound vaguely familiar, but I couldn't be sure. Besides, that wasn't canon. It wasn't possible that it would be happening. Right? Right.

"Hello?" The professor answered the phone. He seemed surprised by the voice on the other end before he started abruptly, "Just a moment. Sh–Conan-kun, it's for you." The professor's hand was over the microphone and I saw him take a glance at me uncertainly. "Huh? How would they know I'm here?" The shrunken detective questioned, startled. The professor leaned closer to him, tone lowering a bit, as if it could keep me from hearing him. "Don't you remember? We had all the phone calls to your house forwarded here."

Conan gave a small huff of laughter as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "That's right. I'm sorry, I forgot." He grabbed his bowtie, "I haven't gotten any phone calls lately, so I completely forgot about that." He turned the dials on the back, making a slight cranking noise before he paused, finally seeming to notice my presence. "Uh…," He started, but I cut him off. "–I already know about your bowtie voice changer thingie and I already know that you've been impersonating Kudou Shinichi quite a bit. It's not exactly a far stretch when you think about it." I smiled brightly at their shocked expressions.

"By the way, you should take the call, it isn't nice to make people wait~!" I chirped, not wanting them to think too deeply about my 'revelation'. The professor started back first, "Ah, right. The guy on the line sounds strange, like he's using a voice masking device." Making a noise of interest, Conan scooted to the edge of the bed and took the phone, immediately putting the bowtie between his lips and the receiver. "Hello?" It was ornately strange to hear an older voice – Kudou Shinichi's – coming from Conan's mouth, even though I knew he _was_ him. Again, I got a sense of vertigo, like the world had tipped on its side.

"Yes." He said into the phone, probably replying to something we couldn't hear. I glanced to the professor, bringing my hand up to tap my lip absently. I startled when a warm body leaned into my side and I fought back a sigh. Kin. Instead of reaching down and touching his soft fur, though, I was distracted by Shinichi's suddenly panicked voice. It was hard to tell, but there was definitely that underlying sense as he gasp, "_What_?!"

I crawled over to his side, curious as to what could get him to panic – though, it was most likely some bomb or something, knowing him… – and the professor made his way closer, as well. I leaned closer and pressed my ear against his, hoping that I would somehow be able to hear the voice through his head. Surprisingly enough, I was able to catch what he was saying. His voice was squeaky, but obviously male, and had the electronic note of a robot; an interesting combination and not-at-all creepy, how one would expect.

"_I'd like to know your mobile phone number._" The man on the other end said, voice crinkling. _Conan_'s face scowled and you could hear it in _Shinichi'_s voice. _Weird, weird, weird_… "I have no reason to give my number to the likes of you!" Sharp, blue, eyes glared into the distance and I nervously shifted by him. That expression would always unnerve me, I believe. "Oh, are you sure you want to cut off my only means of contacting you?" The voice hummed. Conan reacted just as the culprit had planned, most likely, giving in begrudgingly. "Alright, the number is…,"

There was a short moment of silence as only the numbers of Conan's cellphone were said loud and clear throughout the room. Finally, the number was done and the man started to speak again, "_Okay, take your phone with you to the Greenbelt Park near Teimuzu River. I'll show you something interesting._" The way he put it made him sound like a creeper. My brows scrunched in the middle of my forehead and Shinichi echoed my thoughts, "Greenbelt Park?"

"_If you don't hurry the children will die._" And with the short 'what?!' from the shocked Conan, the phone clicked and the dial tone met our ears. "Shinichi!" Agasa started as Conan jumped off the bed, not bothering to conceal his identity, forgetting me for the moment. The shrunken Heisei Holmes shuffled on his slippers, already in action. "Anyways, I'll check it out." He picked up his skateboard. "Are you sure it's not a prank call?" The professor finished, skeptical.

"The way he used a voice masking device, it's no mere prank." Conan told him, beginning to run around him to the door, "Hakase, please contact Megure-keibu." Agasa agreed, telling the smaller to be careful, and at that moment, I hurried to the desk table at the top foot of the bed and I grabbed a metal bracelet, clicking it on to my wrist swiftly. Hurrying off the bed, Kin at my heels, I scooped up a skateboard similar to Conan's, the only difference the color – Conan's was yellow and blue while mine was white and red.

"T-The kids are at Greenbelt Park! I'm coming with you!" I shouted impulsively, adrenaline flooded my system despite not being in immediate danger. Conan paused to turn to regard me, "No, Koizumi, you stay here an–" He almost ordered me but I scowled, Kin hissing as he sensed my mood and I was quick to get all up in his face, poking his chest with an accusing finger.

"Don't try to order me around, _shrimp_. My friends are in danger and _you're_ rushing out, so _I _have every _right_ to do the same!" I huffed. "Just because you wear glasses doesn't mean your Clark Kent!" Whoops, that part wasn't supposed to slip out…

He stared for a second before sighing and nodding, "Okay…, let's go, Koizumi!" Grinning in success, I lifted the bottom of my shift, beckoning Kin into my shirt quickly and waiting until he popped his head out of the collar, before I raced out the door, skateboard in hand.

Conan burst the door open and his skateboard clattered on the ground, mine following as I reached his side. As I stepped onto mine, a thick, metal, clasp clutched onto my sneaker and I wiggled it around in test before nodding to myself.

"Hold on tight, Kin-chan~" I whispered in a sing-song tone, balancing my arms out around me and hesitantly stepping on the 'gas petal'. A rumble ran through my legs and dust gathered around both of our skateboards as they powered to life. With a jolt, they started forward and I instinctively curled into myself a bit, arms wrapping around Kin as I swayed uneasily, following Conan's path. It was pretty obvious to everyone around that I was a complete amateur on a skateboard.

I looked ahead to Conan's awesome-looking form and almost ran into the side of the brick gate before steadying myself again. We ran right into ongoing traffic and I squeaked, my mouth in a panicked grimace as I barely dodged a truck and I suddenly found myself in a downfall as we ran right off the sidewalk to skip the stairs. Oh my god – I'm _freefalling_! Landing clumsily and almost running into a passerby, we continued our journey to Greenbelt Park, the Teimuzu River in view from our spot on the hilltop, glistening, and Ekoda just beyond it.

_Yeah, it's a good thing I got a strap for this thing…. Otherwise, I'd be on my face already. _

ooOOoo

Greenbelt Park was very green and very lush and there were several people spending their Saturday there. Happy, bright, wonderful…_bomb threat_. Why couldn't my weekend be _normal_? To think that the Holmes Freak case hadn't been that long ago, only last weekend…

There was a red toy airplane soaring through the sky, and I soon realized who was flying it as I spotted Mitsuhiko holding a bulky controller. Ayumi and Genta were next to him. They seemed to be arguing calmly – was that possible? – about something. "Don't let me go." I told the skateboard and the lock on my back foot slid off immediately. I had decided to be ironic about the password to get it off, going with the last thing anyone would think to say when trying to get it off. Agasa had gotten a good kick out of it when he'd programmed it, too. Really, we were too alike.

Conan hopped off his skateboard as well and we quickly slid them under one arm before dashing down the stairs to get to the kids. Kin's nails dug into my shoulder to keep hold (I could tell I was getting strange looks from passersby's), but by now, I was so long used to it. "Hey, Mitsuhiko!" Conan called as we finally ran over to them, now finished with the stairs. "When did you get that radio-controlled plane?" We reached their side, Ayumi surging forward happily, "Conan-kun, Koizumi-san!" She gasped in delight.

Everyone looked happy at our arrival as Mitsuhiko answered, "A man with a mustache and a beard gave it to me." Genta raised his arms in excitement. "And he said, 'this is a bomber!'" He grinned brightly and I felt my mouth drop open as my face paled considerably. "A bomber?" Conan asked, before glancing up to the red plane flying in the air. He seemed to click two and two together as his face also paled, eyes growing wide. His board was dropped carelessly to the ground and he was quick to go up and try to pry the remote control from the real kids hand, "Mitsuhiko, let me see that!"

Of course, his bossy attitude didn't receive such a warm welcome from Genta, who jumped to try to get the remote also. Ayumi and I stood by in surprise as a yell from their little 'tug the remote' group, "Hey! It's my turn next!" Genta grumbled loudly, not being in last place. Conan was shoved roughly to the side before he broke the news to them. Quite urgently, mind you. "There's a bomb on that plane!" His shout made Mitsuhiko and Genta – who had still been fighting over the remote – let go of remote in shock; suddenly, nobody wanted to play with the plane anymore.

"Ah–_fools!_" Conan and I insulted in unison, voices mixing in a state of panic. We both lunged for the falling remote, our shoulders bumping but we paid no mind. With my slightly longer arm, I was able to catch it just before it completely hit the floor and I was about to sigh in relief when it swung precariously in my loose grip, the top falling to the bottom with a thwack as the antenna gave out with crack. "Sh–_Shoot_! T–The antenna _broke_, Edogawa-kun!" I announced loudly, pulling it up for examination. Yup. Definitely broken.

"Conan-kun! The plane…!" Ayumi's voice cut through the chaos, drawing the whole of the Detective Boys attention to the plane in the sky as our headband-wearing member pointed to it. It was headed _straight _towards us at a quick speed, the red getting bright and _brighter_ as it got closer. Swallowing thickly, I fiddled with the knobs on the controller, trying to see if I could get the course to change before we all ended up mincemeat. Nothing happened, as I expected. "It's no use! It's _not working_–!" I screeched, fingers scrambling.

"_Everyone run_!"

And what else to do at Conan's sharp command than follow it? The kids scurried to the right, running almost aimlessly, and I went left, following Kin, who had slid out of my shirt and was beckoning me over to a safer spot. "No, not that way!" Conan shouted, reaching out to the kids, who ran the other way, right in the direction of the airplane's path. I jolted to a stop, ignoring Kin trying to pull me away by my short's hem and I focused on the buttons once more. _Come on, come on, come on, come on…!_

Conan gave a yelp as the airplane almost hit him on its path to the kid and I pressed the buttons harder and harder, moving the joystick upwards as it got closer to the kids, who were looking behind them as they ran forward unseeingly – "Koizumi! Do something!" Genta cried, scared. My thumb moved the joystick roughly and I cursed as it actually _broke_ under the force – what a freakin' _flimsy_ piece of _crap_!

However, before I could add more insults to the remote, it breaking had actually set a chain reaction, as it had broken upward, and Ayumi gave a shriek as it almost hit her before it swerved upwards and into the air once more. I grin slightly as the kids slowed and eventually stopped running as they weren't in immediate danger anymore. _Lucky~!_ Thank you, whatever entity was writing my fate. My arms sagged and I watched as it continued in its upward form, starting to curl over just a bit. _Uh oh_. That'll come back at them, if someone doesn't do something.

"Oh no!" Conan let out between clenched teeth and I watched as he bent down to turn the dial on his shoe – he didn't even bother holding back; he spun it to _full power_. "Koizumi, the remote!" He demanded and I blinked before swiftly complying, tossing it in front of him as he poised his leg. "Here goes!" His usual battle cry was intercepted as his foot met the remote, electricity sparking up like they were alive, before it was launched at the plane at high speed, bits flying off from the force of the kick alone.

The plane's route back to the children was cut short as both forces met and a bright orange exploded in front of my eyes, blinding me, and wind and rubble pushed against me, trying to get me to fall back or be swept away. My shoes dug into dirt and the small splashes of the water indicated rubble flying into the Teimuzu River and I opened my eyes – which had instinctively closed against the explosion – to see black smoke filtering above the river, blocking out the view of Ekoda in an unnerving way and the kids huddled in the corner; frightened out of their minds, but safe.

"What the?!" "What blew up?" "Were those fireworks?" "The plane exploded!" Words flew passed my ears and I flinched as something wet and rough slid up my calf and I looked down to see Kin, looking for all the world like something didn't just freakin' _explode_. I raised a brow at him in amusement as he continued 'grooming' me and I snapped back to attention as Conan's voice spoke up, "An orange explosion! It must be plastic explosives." A ringtone pierced the air and a cellphone was dug out of his pocket before Conan answered his phone, done playing games.

"What are your intentions?" His childish voice had gone deeper, almost sounding like an adult's. Yeah, he was definitely done playing games with this dude. My ears were ringing with the sound of the explosion, but I could somehow still hear the mechanically enhanced voice as it questioned, "_What happened to Kudou?_" The serious expression on the shrunken detective's face disappeared briefly for a moment of wide eyes, but it was quick to return as he reached for his bowtie, beginning to crank the dial. However, the criminal beat him to it.

"_I see. He figures sending kids like you two is enough to deal with me, doesn't he?_" Conan paused once he heard these words and so did I. 'Kids like you two'…that means… My eyes darted to a building in the distance and I squinted, trying to see if someone was there. Conan was doing the same as me, trying to see, but it was no use for the two of us. We didn't have binoculars or a telescope and Conan's glasses have yet to be 'digitalized'.

"_Listen carefully: another bomb will go off precisely at one o'clock._" The voice continued and I could sense eyes on the two of us as Conan asked, "One o'clock?" Flipping his hand over, he checked his watch and I peered over, seeing that it was about 12:46 PM. I clicked my tongue in aggravation. Not giving us that much time to dawdle, huh? A bead of sweat ran down my cheek as I smirked dryly. "_It's located at the plaza in front of Beika Station. If Kudou isn't coming, you'd better find it._" Oh, is that a _challenge_ mechanical-voice-man? You're going _down_; you practically signed your prison contract by contacting Kudou Shinichi. Or, in this case, Edogawa Conan.

Phone back at his ear, Conan was quick to coerce the culprit into giving more clues. The kids, finally recovered from shock, ran closer to us, looking at Conan with confused and curious faces as he gained a child-like quality to his voice once more, "Wait. I'm only a kid, I can't do it with just that. Can you give me a hint?" He even leaned forward, fully in kid-mode. It was bit creepy to see, but also very amusing. And _cute_. You couldn't forget cute. Darn, he was _really_ good at acting like a little kid. "Hello?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone and I leaned closer to hear in, the kids still trying to figure out what was going on from where they stood in front of us. "_It's under a tree._" The voice spoke up, "_But it doesn't mean it's buried under a tree. If you don't hurry, someone may walk off with it_." With a gasp at that ending bit, Conan whipped around to try to see the man again. No avail. "Damn!" He cursed, frustrated and angry and he began to run off again and I was quick to follow, Kin latching to me – trying to stop me – but I just decided to take him with me again.

"Conan-kun, Koizumi-san!" "Oi, Conan, Koizumi! Where are you going?"

Quickly making it to our fallen skateboards, we hopped on, pressing the accelerator immediately. With another jolt, we were off on the rough dirt, bumping clumsily – at least, on _my_ part – and I was thankful, once again, for the strap firmly around my back sneaker as I followed Conan's path up the grassy hill to a skidding jump, over the iron gates, back onto concrete. A woman let out a startled noise as we came a bit too close to her for comfort and I internally apologized for Conan and my reckless 'driving'. At least I had an excuse.

Conan simply was someone to drive without a (proper) license.

…Then again, his mother was Kudou Yukiko, so it wasn't _that_ surprising.

ooOOoo

We arrived at Beika station relatively quick, taking many, many, strange – and very unconventional; _dangerous_ – detours. Both of us skidded to a stop and I once again said the command words, my foot being released as I regarded the area, bringing the board under one arm and Kin popped out of my collar and wrapped behind my neck, balancing like always. The place was bustling with people and the sound of trains was covered by the sound of the traffic on the nearby road and I sighed. They never make it a secluded area, huh?

My eyes found the clock hanging on the building. Ten minutes left. "You take that side, I'll take this side!" I said quickly, rushing off to the trees on the side as Conan headed another way. First tree, nothing. Second tree, nothing. I found a, '_tch_', leaving my mouth as I searched for more trees, only to see no more in the vicinity. Conan's eyes met mine from across the platform and we nodded at each other before heading to a place across the street called Burger Shop – I _know_, right? What kind of _lame_ name was that? – at the same time; our two minds were working in sync at the moment.

I could dwell about the creepiness later. Now wasn't exactly the right time.

The light turned green, signaling that was could cross the street, and I hurried to with Conan across and into the building that would give us full view of the Beika Station. We ignored the lady working at the counter, who bowed, welcoming us, and we immediately headed for the stairs, getting up them quickly.

Conan hopped onto a stool and I stood on my tiptoes to see over the edge of the counter, the window edge breaking the bottom of my view, but it didn't really matter. We scanned the area and I watched as people continued on with their daily lives; living their peaceful Saturday. Rolling my eyes, I tried to focus on my task at hand. _Under a tree, but not buried under a tree…Someone may walk away with it…._

My eyes caught sight of an old woman sitting down on a bench, but what more caught my attention was the pink crate underneath said bench. My breath caught as I looked over to Kin on my shoulder. It could very well be…

The woman spotted the pink crate and kneeled down, picking it up gently to read what the piece of paper said on its front. It was too far to read, but I could guess well enough what was written there. 'Someone please take this with you.', most likely. She placed the crate on the bench, opening the latch, and as she opened the door, a cute white cat walked out. The woman picked it up, fawning over it for a moment, before putting it back in the box and standing, taking it with her.

"Oi, Edogawa! This is bad!" I muttered and something in his head clicked as he grew just as panicked. Weird, I had actually gotten that before him. Probably because I'm a cat owner, I mused absently, as we rushed back down the stairs and out of the building to follow the woman. She was carrying a _bomb_! "Obaa-san, wait!" Conan yelled out, trying to get the woman to stop as she hailed a taxi and got inside. Just as he was about to rush into ongoing traffic, though, the screech of wheels pieced my sensitive ears and Conan fell back to avoid being hit by the motorcycle that had just barely stopped in time. His skateboard hit the road with a clang and I winced. I really hope that didn't break it…

"You idiot! Can't you see the light?!" The man in the motor outfit and helmet scolded Conan in an agitated voice and grabbed his board as he apologized, albeit half-heartedly, "I-I'm sorry!" The motorcycle drove off, the regular flow of traffic following once more. A truck passed just in time for us to watch the old lady's taxi drive off.

"You're kidding me!" I whined as Conan cursed. My eyes darted back to the clock's face, in time with Conan. Five minutes 'till one! "Damn it!" The vulgar curse escaped both our lips and we hopped onto our skateboards once more to pursue the wayward taxi. This was beginning to feel like 'the chase of the skateboard'.

We zoomed out onto the street, not even bothering with the clogged sidewalk and I frowned in concentration as I tried to stay away from the cars. Conan really didn't care, clearing paths through people and riding through the road like he owned it – but, luckily, since I was behind him, just a bit, I was able to just use the path he'd made instead of rushing through like a madman on a turbo-engine skateboard. Conan glanced at his wristwatch. "Four minutes 'till one." He informed me gravely.

From just down the slope of a hill, I saw the lady's taxi stop due to traffic and I grinned. Ye! We'll make it! "Good! We'll catch up while the road is congested! …huh?" I blinked at the end of Conan's sentence, turning to see what was wrong. For some reason, Conan's skateboard had slowed considerably and I quickly removed my foot from the 'petal' so that I wouldn't go ahead without him. "What's going on? There's plenty of sunlight." He questioned, looking down at his board as it got to a sluggish pace.

"That's right! It must have broken when it hit the ground." He gasped in remembrance and I couldn't hold back a face palm. _Really…_

His board finally stopped and he was quick to get out of the way of ongoing traffic, as was I, as I used my leg to maneuver me back to the sidewalk as honks rang from behind us. "Get on, Edogawa-kun! It should hold the two of us!" I told him, already grabbing his wrist and hauling him onto my board physically. "Hold on tight~!" I chuckled, flooring my foot on the 'pedal' again and we jolted forward, heading downhill swiftly. Arms clutched around my waist tightly as we continued to speed down, the wind whipping our faces.

Suddenly, there was a move in traffic. "Oh no, the cars are moving again!" Conan shouted in my ear and I resisted the urge to back my head into his chin – sensitive ears! Kin seemed to think the same as he hissed from inside the safe confines of my shift. "Three minutes." Conan said, lower this time, as he glanced down to his watch carefully. "Wait a minute, this road curves to the left… Turn here, Koizumi!" He told me and I got his idea and with a reckless grin on my face – we probably looked like a bunch of psychos – I skidded a sharp turn, just narrowly making it into the alleyway with Conan's added assistance.

In the alley, we curved around to the point of our destination and as I saw what he was planning, my grin abruptly vanished as I paled. "A-Ah, w-wait! Edogawa-kun!" I removed my foot from the 'pedal', but he merely placed his over it to keep up moving at high speed towards the freakin' _gate_ in front of us. "Edoga–_Yahh_!" I shut my eyes tightly – and I would deny that scream for the rest of my life – as he guided the skateboard to a small rim on the ground in front of the gate and freakin' popped us _up_ to _fly over_ the fencing and the large _staircase_ that followed.

We landed onto the asphalt of the road once more and my eyes opened, only to shut a second later as a car came speeding at us, the wheels squealing as the break was put into gear. I heard Conan give a short, not-very-scared, scream (it sounded more childish than anything) as he leaned backwards to avoid getting the front of a car in his face. Due to his maneuvering, I ended up falling onto my bottom as he raced to the inside of the car as the driver rushed out. "A-Are you alright, kids?" The man stuttered and I gave a small nod and a weak smile up to him as I stood myself upright again with the man's help (I was still strapped to it, after all).

He was quick to notice Conan in his taxi, though, and went into confused staring. From what I could see, Conan retrieved the case and peered inside, face growing shocked and I really didn't want to hear the, "Only twenty five seconds!" that escaped from his mouth. Ready myself, the shrunken Heisei Holmes hurried back onto the board with me after taking a look around the area and I took the case from his hands so that he could hold on. It felt like the heaviest case I'd ever held in my life, but my gaze faltered to the children's park just on the other side of the road. We _can't_ let it explode here!

I glanced inside at the case, "It stopped…," I uttered, shocked, and in my daze, Conan started up the turbo-engine again after telling the man that he was okay. I let Conan guide us to where he wanted to go as I watched the frozen '_16_' on the screen. "Ah – it started again!" I informed the navigator as we left the vicinity of the place we'd just been at. The clock ticked swiftly, it seemed, while everything else moved in slow motion.

Conan swerved to the side, splitting right through the road, and I could hear the cars piling up with screeching stops as we continued on. I didn't really care about the cars at the moment – I was holding a bomb with less than twenty seconds! Through a short alley filled with wooden crates – _8, 7 _– and up a grassy hill before we were freefalling again.

Conan jumped off, but I was still stuck on my coarse with the strap – hmm, maybe it _wasn't_ such a good idea… "Koizumi, _release yourself_!" He ordered, frantic now that he realized I was still on a crash course with the bomb and headed downhill (_the wrong way_) – _6, 5_ – and I knew right then, that I wouldn't have enough time to get away, even if I released myself. So, I did the next best thing. My eyes darted to my left wrist and I quickly pressed a small, unnoticeable, button on it – _"Koizumi!"_ – and watched as it extended swiftly – _4, 3_… The world seemed oddly silent at the moment – _"Koizumi!"_ – I felt soft fur rub against my neck and sharp, pin, nails dig into my collarbone.

Grasping the newly formed metal bat that was still attached to my wrist, I felt a tingling sensation run through my arm muscles and I _swung, _a loud _clang!_ assaulting my ears (_noise_) – _2, 1… _

My eyes shut as orange burst and I felt myself being pushed through air, like I was falling in the wrong direction. My ears rung as something thick and putrid filled my lungs and I coughed, still feeling like I was falling in reverse. Sounds returned in short bursts as I continued to fall – fly? Was I dead? – and there was horrified screams and the sound of cars screeching to a stop once more and I almost laughed, but something thick in my throat kept me from doing so and my eyes watered. I didn't dare open them, as they were still searing from the light from before.

A familiar scream caught my attention, though, and I opened my mouth in worry – Conan! "A–" That was all that came out before I began to cough, body convulsing painfully. A comforting lick to my cheek seemed out of place, but I embraced the buddle of fur at my chest, as I was pushed and tumbled through the air with the force of a tsunami. Or, in this case, an explosion. Okay, officially confirmed I'm not dead, I thought somewhat absently as my back collided painfully with something rough and pointy.

As the explosion wind finally died out, the force keeping me flat against whatever I was against left and I found myself falling sideways and I landed on my shoulder. "_Keh_.." My teeth clenched as I tried to get some fresh air – the air was still polluted with smoke and debris. I groaned, rolling onto my stomach before rolling over once more for good measure and, cautiously, I pried open my eyes. The first thing to enter my view was a blurry tree, standing tall and proud, even as the smoke billowed around it. _Strong trunk…_

My head turned to the side and I spit out some dirt that had gotten inside my mouth sometime during the explosion. My eyes flitted around, adjusting, and I realized my skateboard was still attached to my feet, still in one piece, surprisingly enough. Kin was sitting next to me head, where I'd spit up foliage, surveying me with concern. He looked virtually unharmed, but maybe that's because he had been inside my shirt, me curled around him. He did, however, have a small nick on his paw, which he was cleaning out half-heartedly.

"We'll have to take you to a vet…," I mumbled weakly, before I stopped short, mouth closing as my eyes widened.

I couldn't hear my voice.

_Oh my god, oh my god… Calm. Keep calm. You were just near an explosion, it's probably Nerve Deafness and won't last forever… Hopefully. _

Swallowing, I closed my eyes and took deep, smoke-filled, breaths to calm myself before opening my eyes in realization. Conan! I jolted up, regretting it almost immediately as the world spun and blurred. _Shoot…_ "Edogawa-kun?" I called, still not hearing my voice, but knowing I was making noise. "Edogawa-kun?" Once I got my senses back, I searched around me carefully before spotting a prone form near me, at the base of the tree and vertical to how I had landed. "Edogawa-kun!" I crawled over, feeling weak and drained and _damn it, my back hurt_…

"Edogawa-kun!" I shook him gently – very gently, I don't know what else could have happened to him, after all. When he didn't respond in the least, I bit my lip before trying a different tactic. "Kudou-kun, wake up! Wake up! …Shinichi!" I growled, peering closer to investigate his wounds. His head had a lot of blood coming out, but it wasn't too much to worry about him bleeding to death. The problem was mental health. This could have put him in a freakin' _coma_, for all I know!

I shook my head, ridding myself of the useless thoughts. What was I doing? I should be calling for help! I reached down into my pockets, feeling for my black cellphone and hoping that it wasn't broken. Low and behold, when I took it out of my short's pocket, it was in pristine condition. It looked new. My eyes narrowed before I shrugged it off. I _had_ gotten it from _Akako_, after all – no need dwelling on this at the moment. I flipped it open, fingers clumsily pressing the buttons as I felt my consciousness sway unsteadily.

"1…what's…ency?" was all I heard (very dimly), but I got the point and rasped out, "Ah, there's been a…bombing and there are people injured, so we need an ambulance, please…," Oh, wow…the world was suddenly very, very dim….

ooOOoo

_Midoridai Police Hospital. _

_Bombings._

_Moriya Teiji. _

_Symmetrical._

These words drifted in and out of my mind in a sea of black with colorful flashes. I had the strangest feeling like this was all my fault, but I had no idea why… A pain in my back signified the waking of my body andmy eyes flitted behind my lids, searching for one particular answer. And I found it behind every word.

"The…Time-bombed….Skyscraper…," I mumbled to myself as I woke up, even though I couldn't hear it. It just felt reassuring to say something out loud. My eyes felt heavy but I forced them open, taking in the white room surrounding me. A hospital, I concluded, by the ornaments and the object surrounding me. I was in a slightly uncomfortable bed and there was a needle in my arm, connected to an IV. …I'd freak out about that later…

A flash of out-of-place red caught my attention and I focused on a familiar, blurry, figure. The mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear a thing, so I shrugged and tapped my ear slowly and the talking stopped. I think she sighed, too. My vision cleared up and I found myself staring at the devastatingly beautiful Koizumi Akako, writing on a piece of paper. She stopped writing and lifted it up so that I could see. _"You're a complete idiot, Alice."_ I could imagine her saying in a vindictive voice as I read the paper saying the exact same words before she put it back on the table and began to write something else.

_You're lucky that they called me instead of Kuroba-kun._ As I shivered, she smirked at me and I glared with a pout. It was very lucky, but it wasn't like he _wouldn't_ figure out. He was my caretaker, after all. There was nothing much about my physical health that I could hide; it just wasn't possible. He was the freakin' Kaitou KID. It was an effort in vain.

"Why…is this happening?" I croaked silently. "This. This wasn't ever canon. It was just a non-canon movie…, so why?" My confusion was apparent and I saw her roll her eyes haughtily. She began to write on the slip of paper again. The answer I got wasn't satisfying. _I'll tell you when you can hear again, it's a mouthful. I'm going to go get the doctor. Stay there. _

Her elegant handwriting had never been more annoying than now and all I could do was do as she said. It's not like I could have a one-sided argument, after all. With a huff, I relaxed back into the plush pillow of my bed before looking down at the IV connector and taking it out of my arm carefully with a smirk. No IVs, thank you~! The world was very…_dull _without noise. I couldn't even hear the background chatter that was always there or the hum of the air conditioning that was hanging above my bed, dusting me with cool air.

Everything was just utterly silent.

I blinked as the door slid open, revealing a young looking doctor, probably in his mid-twenties with a nurse by his side. He raised a hand in greeting, probably already informed by my dimensional not-sister that I was currently deaf. He took my heartbeat and other vitals – I cleared all fine – before he checked my ears, frowning a bit before smiling. He wrote something down on his notepad and lifted it for me to see. _Temporary Deafness_ was checked and I internally cheered. Good, I'd been correct earlier about that. It was Nerve Deafness.

He turned to talk to Akako about something and I stared at the white ceiling, wishing Kaito was here. At least everything wouldn't be so…_white_. I think I'd go insane if I had to stay here for one more _hour._ Once the doctor finished conversing whatever with Akako, he left and soon, my wish came true. After a few hours alone in the room with Akako – she'd been oh-so-kind to inform me that I'd be let off of questioning due to my deafness and that I had to wait for my actual guardian to get checked out – Kaito had suddenly come gallivanting into the room like he owned the place, face concerned and stern at the same time.

And as his lips were flapping with unheard words, I found myself smirking under my blankets as he just continued on and on. There were colorful interjections between the scolding and worried mother-hen moments – doves randomly appearing, confetti falling from the ceiling, the nurses' and doctors' outfits randomly changing to different colors before switching back. Overall, it was very amusing and since I was so tired, I ended up drifting in and out of sleep the whole day. Before I knew it, it was already dark outside and I woke to Aoko in the room with Kaito. Akako had left to go get Kin at the vet and to take him home for the evening, since animals weren't allowed in the building.

Spotting a bird feather on the ground, I couldn't help but laugh a bit at the notation. A bit too late for that…

Interestedly, I watched as Aoko had a silent, happy, conversation with Kaito and he seemed to light up at her idea. I blinked as the wild-haired teen turned to me with a mischievous grin and soon, I was scooped out of the bed into warm arms and I could feel chuckles vibrate through him as he carried me to the door, being sneaky about it. I peeked at Aoko over Kaito's shoulder, seeing she was in on it.

…Was I seriously being smuggled out of a hospital?

ooOOoo

I definitely liked Aoko and Kaito's idea of fun a lot more than staying in the stuffy hospital room. They had brought me back to Kaito's house and we were all going to have an all-night, black-and-white, silent film, movie marathon. I sat between the two of them, warm and cozy, and even though I realized things probably weren't going so smooth for Shinichi at the moment, I knew it would be okay. Because I knew how the case ended. The Time-Bombed Skyscraper movie. I'd really have to ask Akako about this; especially since the movie had occurred in April and it was only March.

Oh well…

My eyes drifted shut as the black-and-white movie continued. I was too tried to watch anymore… A warm, fuzzy, body curled up against my side and everything was perfect.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Yesh, I'm a Whovian! 8D (Laughs) I couldn't resist adding that part. XDDD I absolutely adore the Tenth, but Nine is still my favorite – he's so witty and sarcastic, even though we're not with him for long. XD Haha, he **_**does**_** need to work on them, they're horrible! XD I cringe every time I hear his Osaka-ben because even though I'm not native, it's so bad that you can **_**hear**_** it… (Shivers) XDDD Yeah, I had to~! Too fun to resist, really~! XD (Grins as Snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan! 8D **

**To: Echo Andalice – (Laughs) Yes, now he has two! (Maniacal Evil Laughter) ….(Coughs) Thanks for your review! o^^o**

**To: Iriss-sama – It's okay~! I'm glad you were able to get a review in before I updated the next chapter. XD (Laughs) Yes, poor Midori is a trouble magnet, along with her little-self, Alice. XD They go down in style, lol. I had to add that cause it was just too fun to resist~! Giving characters spoilers is breaking the fourth wall! XD I'm glad you loved it! Ah, this trouble is not all~! Lots and lots more trouble to come~! 8DDDD And thank you, to both you and your sister~! You're both wonderful – thank you both for reading my story. ^^ I'm glad she likes it so far. 8D (That's okay; it happens. XD) (Gathers Luck and Creates Pot of Gold) Thank you and here's the next chapter~! 8D **

**To: kittyfinatic515 – Thank you so much! Here's the update. ^^ **

**-(1) "dorei" literally means "slave". So, Akako's calling her butler 'slave'. Just thought I should clarify, if anyone was interested. XD **

**-I'm incredibly curious. Can anyone crack Midori/Alice's signature code? XD (It's pretty darn lame, lol)**

**-Happy (hour early) Birthday, Shinichi! 8D (Tiredly spreads confetti; passes out on the floor) **


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Hey, guys! 8D This chapter was fun to write because I liked making her lair. XDD Also, the heist note is finally sent! ^^ Just a short break chapter before we get to **_**another**_** case. (Laughs) Enjoy? 8D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Thirty Five

School the next day was peaceful. Even though I was still couldn't hear anything, I'd been allowed to go; the teachers informed of what happened, so that they didn't think I was just ignoring their questions, should they ask any. As per expected, when lunch came around, the Detective Boys and Conan were quick to crowd around. Their lips moved and I tried to follow their words, but I wasn't the best at lip-reading.

Mitsuhiko was the first to ask if I was okay and I nodded, sending him a grin. "Perfectly fine, Tsuburaya-kun." I commented quietly, trying not to sound loud since I couldn't tell if I was being noisy or not. It was kind of irritating; no wonder deaf people usually used sign-language, too. It was just easier, I suppose.

My eyes darted to Ayumi and Genta, who were speaking in unison. …Something about visiting a banana? My brows furrowed in confusion and I felt a nervous bead of sweat run down my cheek. Conan seemed to get that I didn't understand what they were saying and grabbed a nearby piece of paper, writing on it swiftly and holding it up.

_They said that they're sorry for not coming to visit you in the hospital, but your sister, the one with red hair, didn't let them in the room. _

I blinked before deadpanning, letting out a sigh. "Ah, sorry about that. She's… I really don't have any excuse for her…," I mumbled dryly. I should've expected that of Akako; why she had denied them was beyond me, though. Who knows what's running through that woman's head, really.

I saw the kids chuckle at my obvious annoyance with my 'sister' and I quirked a smile at them. My eyes turned to Conan, who still had his head wrapped in bandages. "And you, Edogawa-kun? You're okay, right?" I questioned curiously, though I already knew the answer.

He nodded, smirking slightly at the obvious change of subject, his mouth moving as he voiced a confirmation, sliding an absent finger over his bandages. I think I caught an 'I'll be able to take this off tonight', but I couldn't be sure. Leaving the conversation of what happened yesterday, we all got out our bentos to eat lunch.

ooOOoo

I watched Kaito blankly as he swept the kitchen floor, looking bored out of his mind. I was just as bored as him, feeling tired and incredibly lethargic. I flinched as my phone buzzed in my pocket and I quickly grabbed it and flipped it open, seeing 'Koizumi Akako' flashing in bold letters. I rolled my eyes, opening her text to see what she needed. I blinked at the words before I grinned sharply. _Come over. You said you wanted a 'lair' of sorts for your thief persona, am I correct? _

Yes, I had said that. You're wonderful, Akako~! I hummed internally, getting off the couch and sliding my phone back into my pocket as Kaito turned to look at me curiously. His mouth moved, forming the words 'where are you going?'. I smiled reassuringly, "I'm just going to Akako-neesan's. She wants to show me something." He furrowed his brow, not really liking the idea, but nodded all the same. With a wave to him, I ran out of the house, now dawning my bright blue converse that were finally starting to get worn around the edges. Kin followed me out the door.

I quickly made it over to the woods before Akako's house and as I was about to enter the still-somewhat-creepy woods, I noticed a figure standing by a tree. "Akako?" I called, walking a bit closer and indeed seeing the red-haired witch, "What are you doing over here?" Akako smirked down at me, her arms crossed easily as she straightened from leaning on the tree behind her. The shade from the forest covered both of us in cool air and she didn't bother saying anything, knowing I couldn't hear, and instead gestured me over deeper in.

I followed close behind, branches scratching along my arms and legs in a welcoming way, carefully avoiding my eyes and face. She led me through unfamiliar territory, the shadows growing darker and the scenery plants seemed to die more along the way, tainting the usually green path an unpleasant yellow and brown. Even the trees seemed to wilt, scraggly and thin, before the thinned out to stray branches and weeping willows – the only trees that didn't seem to die, but fit the scenery enough to look like they were.

Leaves sprinkled the path, making it hard to follow, and I could see several creepy crows lined in the branches above, watching us diligently, like some type of strange guardians. Goosebumps appeared on my skin as we arrived at our destination, a clearing filled with dead grass – all a putrid yellow – and a broken, shed of a building. Windows were shattered in, glass scattered around the outside, and it looked like it would fall apart if you stepped foot in it, but it gave the sense of a strong fortress, oddly enough.

"This is…," I trailed, not knowing how to put it.

She sent me an amused smirk before beckoning me forward, disregarding my trailing completely. Hesitantly, I went forward, the tall, dead, grass brushing my shins roughly. Kin didn't seem to like the grass, either, as he clawed his way up my clothes to perch on my shoulders, far from the floor. Rolling my eyes with a sigh, I finally made it to the door, pushing it open gently. I could almost imagine the eerie creak it would have let out, if I had been able to hear it.

Peering into the dark room, I realized that it has three rooms – the main one, a side one, and one in the back, hidden by a closed door. There was also a bathroom, in the far corner of the main room; it looked to be the cleanest and less creepy place of the whole building and I thanked Akako internally for not giving me a place with a nasty bathroom. I would've bopped her a good one if she had, since I would have probably been the one to have to clean it. That would've sucked…

My eyes surveyed the main room; there was some pieces of glass on the floor and there were crates in the corner, labeled 'EXPLOSIVES' – _oi, oi_… – and the floor was filled with clutter, random objects and dust covering most of the room. I'd definitely have to clean this place, I thought, as I spotted injection needles sprawled near a dartboard. There's no way I can just keep the place this way. Moving further in, I walked to the side room, coughing into my hand as dust clouded my throat.

The side room was a kitchen, with a small, steel, sink and a mini fridge in the corner. It was a small room, with floor titles pulled off in some places, revealing the mucky cement underneath, and walls that were colored a faded blue. There was a tiny window above the sink, surprisingly not broken, but dirty and only allowing tainted light into the room, some streams brighter than others; the room fully lighted in different ways. It was relatively clean, but would definitely need some work, I decided, walking out of it and to the door at the base of the back of the main room, next to the crates.

I grabbed the rusted knob cautiously before I pulled it open – it was strangely heavy and I realized the material of the door easily, thick and bulletproof; steel. _Very nice_, I quirked a smile, spotting a peephole higher up on the door and a small, rectangular, space that probably was a 'What's the password?'-esque opening that was currently closed. Getting in the room, I gaped at the several locks on the inside – there was a chain lock, about five bolt locks – all that didn't need a key and could only be unlocked and locked from the inside –, two key locks, a padlock that needed a combination, and a large metal frame that you needed to pull over the door before it clicked into place – it'd only be released, it seemed, by inputting a code in the security code pad near the door.

And they were all only visible on the inside, so they were also impossible to pick. It was a bit….extreme.

Brows furrowed, I disregarded the locks for the moment and took in the rest of the room. It was smaller than the large, main room, but it was bigger than the tiny kitchen. There was a book case with several books missing and some thrown onto the floor carelessly and a mahogany desk – covered with piles of magazines – at the far end of the room, a big, cushiony, spinning chair behind it, giving the sense of 'I've been expecting you'. It was definitely the cleanest room in the house, second to the bathroom.

Akako walked in, immediately heading to the left side, opposite to the bookcase (which only took up half of the right side; a large, walk-in, closet taking up the rest of the space), where there was a chalkboard and whiteboard pinned up. She grabbed a whiteboard marker, writing swiftly on the board. _What do you think? This is the most secure room, doubling as a bedroom. The main room can be used however you decide and the kitchen is for pre-heist snacks or if you just feel like hanging out here while planning. _

"It's really nice." I said honestly. It wasn't crisp and bright and clean like the KID lair, but it was definitely more comfortable – in a way that I didn't have to worry about things getting messy – and it was a lot more my style, to be truthful. I couldn't see myself working in a place like the KID lair; I'd feel too claustrophobic with the fluorescent lights and surrounding white. "It's a lot more cluttered than I expected, but that's alright. I definitely like this room." I chuckled, eyes darting to the front of the room, seeing a standing lamp beside the door, to easily be turned on when entering.

Once again, she wrote on the board with her elegant kanji. _That's good. You can always change things as you see fit, too. This building now belongs to you, do with it what you will. I've been meaning to get rid of it, but you offered me a reason to give it away. Not most people know of this place, either. It's actually pretty far from my house and deeper into the woods than one would expect. We just passed through a barrier field that transported us further in, since we were on our way there. Anyone who isn't searching for this place will continue going through the barrier and ending up in a different part of the woods. No one can find this place accidently. _

"Oh~! That's a cool feature!" I exclaimed, grinning happily. "I'll definitely use this place! Thanks, Akako-neesan!" I chirped, rubbing my cheek absently against Kin's.

She smiled at me for a moment before turning to write something on the board once more. _Either way, you should give the police, at least, a week to decode the heist note you wrote the other day at my house. I saw you looking through several different websites and grinning like a manic, so I'm assuming it's something amusing to you. You should deliver it today, since the heist will take place this weekend. _

I hummed, nodding as my hand went up to my chin. "True, true. The problem is how to send it….," I mumbled. The museum was out on the outskirts of Haido, so if I sent it myself, I'd have to go all the way through Beika and through Haido. It'd just be tiring and it was already pretty late. I bit my lip, thinking before blinking over at Kin, who licked my cheek in a focused way, trying to 'groom' me once again.

I sent him a dry smile before realization filtered through my mind. Slowly, my mouth curled upwards in a smirk. "Hey, Kin-chan…,"

Erasing the whiteboard, Akako snickered in amusement, fully amused with my antics.

ooOOoo

On the outskirts of Haido, a man gasped. "Hey, come look at this!" He called over to the other security guard on duty. The other hurried over before peering over his coworkers shoulder, his face growing surprised, "Woah! Is that seriously…?" He began, shocked. In all the time of working here, they hadn't had one; probably because the museum was a virtually low-scale one and not very popular, not for gems or for artifacts. The other man nodded, "Yeah, it is. I don't think someone would waste so much time on a prank." He said, reading it over and not understanding a word of it.

In the corner of the supposed heist note, there was a small drawing of a bell on a string, shaded in carefully. The handwriting was neat, yet scrawling and pointed out in a strange way, looking almost like they were trying to escape from the kanji.

_Krustallos and sapphire drop into baby blue tears that fall from Marius Scotus' eyes as cameo bracelets sing songs of Saturn mournfully._

_To the tune of the song, pandas do workouts - 16 pushups and 7 crunches._

_An unexpected "swoop" and the tear will be "gone", swept up into the ocean of "black" in your monochrome world._

_Sincerely, _

_37.4 F, the 333-9._

In a nearby alley, a black cat with glowing, golden, eyes cleaned off his paw lazily before stalking off back home, blending into the surrounding darkness; job done.

**Review Replies:**

**To: Echo Andalice – Yup, it's the longest so far in this series. XD I've actually written something longer before, but never posted it, lol. Yay! I'm glad you liked it! I adore the Conan movies, so I decided, "why not?". XDDD The Sherlock Holmes game one is also a favorite of mine! 8DD It's awesome. X3 Ah, that's okay. It's kind of a bad code, since the only hint is literature. XD;;; And that sounds awesome! By camera, do you mean that Alice/Midori would be able to see what Conan sees because it's connected to his glasses, or…? It's definitely a cool idea, so I'll have to add it when I get the chance. XD She'll usually get new gadgets when Conan does, lol. Thanks for your review! ^^ **

**-Can anybody deduct the heist note? 8D **

"**Next Conan's Hint: Paint!"**


	36. Big Monster Gomera Murder Case (Part 1)

**A/N: I had some trouble writing this, but it was fun. XDD Lots of running, kinda reminded me of Doctor Who, lol. **_**Mage&Magician**_** will be the next to be updated and then I'll get to the next chapter in this! Enjoy? ^^Anyone interested in English themes: Alligator Sky by Owl City; Tyrant by One Republic; Frontline by Pillar; and All The Right Moves by One Republic. Four, because I couldn't choose one and highlight all aspects. XDD  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama.  
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Chapter Thirty Six

There were various different reactions to the heist note.

To say I had been surprised on Tuesday morning was an understatement. After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, I had meandered down the stairs and sat at the table, nibbling on a piece of toast. Kaito hadn't greeted me immediately, just staring intensely at something on the front page of the newspaper. Curious, I made my way over to his side, glancing at the aforementioned paper – only to choke on my toast a second later.

"What the…," I trailed, coughing into my hand lightly. Even more to my surprise, the sound of my voice split through my ears and I smiled absently – I could finally hear again; I must have been too out of it to not realize earlier, I mused. However, I didn't dwell on it long, my attention going back to the paper. On the front page, in big, bold letters, the words '**Kaitou KID Changing His Style?**' was written with a picture underneath with other details. Uh-oh…

My gaze flitted to Kaito, who was still looking at it somewhat contemplatively before he grinned – I swallowed thickly as I recognized the distinct KID grin masked beneath it. "It seems KID-sama has a copycat." He chuckled jovially, bringing a hand down to ruffle my hair as I sweat dropped nervously. "Kaito-niichan, I don't think they're a copycat….," Sure, I was somewhat using KID's style and method, but I was most certainly _not_ a _copycat_!

He looked at me curiously, "Hm? Why do you think that?" Again, there was a flash in his eyes different from usual and I realized that he didn't think it was a copycat, either, but rather a new thief in his territory. He would probably check up on the thief then, I thought with no little weariness. "W-Well, they would have used KID's trademark caricature. It's just stupid to try to copy someone while not making it look like the person that they're copying and…, well, if anyone is to think that they're actually KID, then they're stupid, since it's a different signature and everything and KID isn't very well-known for being subtle about anything, except being vague with his heist notes and…," Now I was rambling, my mind internally laughed at me.

Kaito laughed, "You're right, Alice-chan~!" Suddenly, he blinked before he pulled me into a suffocating hug. "Your hearing is back!" Chuckling, I nodded, brown gaze trailing to the floor, seeing gold eyes staring at Kaito's back balefully before the cat stalked back upstairs, most likely disappearing into my room. It seems like Kin was finally getting used to Kaito's constant stream of touchy-feely affection. I laughed again before squirming out of Kaito's grip and going back to eating my toast, thumbing through _The Hound of the Baskervilles_.

I ignored Kaito's bemused smile.

ooOOoo

Wednesday found me back in my 'lair' – which had now been named The Den (yes, yes, I know, very creative). Cleaning the place was…hazardous. I had nearly stepped on some darts that had been splayed across the floor of the main room – now the living room, I'd decided – but had managed to avoid them. Just barely, before I put them in the pile with all the other pokey objects. There was quite a few of them; I was beginning to wonder why the heck Akako had even had this house, better yet, how she got it. I threw the thoughts out of my mind, though – I don't think I wanted to know.

I was wearing a surgical mask and had opened up the window in the kitchen to help get some cross-ventilation through the building as the dust swirled around in the air. Looking at the living room's relatively clean appearance, I slumped. The things were still scattered around the room, miscellaneous items (some of which could come in handy) only somewhat more organized, but I decided it was good enough. The dust was gone now and you could sit on the ground without getting grey patches on your clothing or legs, so it was okay – plus, despite its messy appearance, I now knew where everything was. With a smirk, I nodded to myself, pulling down my mask to survey the room.

"The best security is to make it look like nothing has a place, after all~!" I hummed happily, knowing that if someone moved something I'd know, spinning around in the room cheerfully before coming to a stop at the kitchen. "Now, for you…," I mumbled in determination, pulling the surgical mask back on.

With a slap of plastic on skin, rubber dish gloves adorned my hands as I set to work.

ooOOoo

Thursday – another case had already passed on Tuesday night, I'd learned through the papers; the one involving Sonoko's sister and her fiancé, along with the man's two brothers, all of who happened to be triplets. Of course, it'd led to some confusion between who was the murderer of Sonoko's sister's father-in-law.

Due to Erise's excitement about something, we'd decided to meet up at our usual café after school. So, here I was, sipping at hot chocolate, absently watching people pass by a nearby window under the brim of my hat. Surprisingly, I had arrived first, but, then again, I was an elementary student, whereas she was a high school student. I blinked as someone took a seat in the booth in front of me and I looked up to see Erise, smiling at me. "Hi~!" She waved and I sent her an amused smile behind the rim of my mug.

"Well, hello, stranger." I greeted in a joking way, watching as she giggled a bit. "Sorry for being a bit late – I had cleaning duty today." She said in apology, making a face as she mentioned said cleaning duty. My nose crinkled a bit in distaste, too. Getting cleaning duty when you had plans sucked – though I liked the idea of the students helping out around school, it had its moments of inconvenience, too. It was definitely a big change from my normal American school system, but it wasn't unpleasant, more like a learning experience. I had definitely become more disciplined since coming here, that's for sure.

"Nah, it's okay." I waved my hand carelessly, "I wasn't waiting here long." I lied, taking another gulp of the scalding chocolate liquid. It burned down my throat, but in a good way. "Besides," I placed my mug down with a clack, licking my lips as I leaned forward in interest, peering into her sky eyes. "What I'm really curious about is what's got you so excited." I quirked a lopsided grin as she brightened, beginning to tell me of her recent fascination. I hid an amused chuckle as she pulled the newspaper out of her bag.

She pointed out the front page of Tuesday and I deadpanned internally – oh boy… – before raising an eyebrow at her, "KID trying a new style?" I asked with feigned ignorance. "This is the thief you told me about before, right?"

She nodded seriously, pouting at the page, "But these people are idiots! It's obviously not KID – it's a new thief! You can tell because of the caricature!" She exclaimed in a hush, scandalized, voice, pointing to the photo of the heist note – _my_ heist note. Looking at it, I couldn't help but crack a smirk. It had turned out pretty well, I was proud. Though, I don't know if it was a good thing to be proud about. Oh well.

"Plus, the kanji is written completely different than KID's handwriting; it's more…unrefined, I guess, while KID's is more elegant." Unrefined…I chuckled, feeling incredibly amused with her correct assessment of my handwriting. I had purposely made it strange, but also didn't bother making it picture-perfect. That would have been too time consuming and I just didn't want to have to spend hours on one letter – that'd be stupid. My eyes went up to meet the brunette. "So, you're excited about a new thief, or angry that someone is copying KID?"

She smiled, putting the paper back into her bag, ordering pink lemonade from the waitress when she came to take the order, before continuing, "I'm excited that there's a new thief! Besides, the thief isn't copying KID – you can tell." She grinned brightly and I returned it. I knew there was a reason I liked this girl – she wasn't only great company, she was also smart! I leaned forward, resting my chin on my palm, humming in interest.

"You should join the police force, Ri-chan. You'd be a great cop." I laughed as she flushed at the compliment, immediately downing her lemonade as it arrived to hide her embarrassment, much to the waitress's amusing surprise.

ooOOoo

Friday, it seemed, had come in a breeze. Apparently, another case had happened Thursday after school – the one with the illustrator and the faked suicide. Seriously, cases were being swatted like flies. It made me a bit worried for my up-and-coming heist; Shinichi was a force of nature I never wanted to clash with. Like, _ever_. Maybe it was just my uneasiness for tomorrow, but the fact that the police still hadn't revealed anything more on my heist note case was…unnerving.

However, I put the thoughts out of my mind, instead focusing on prepping my gear and trying out the invention Agasa had finally finished the other day – the secret project.

And then it was Saturday already, we – the Detective Boys – had all made our way over to Agasa's house (as he had invited us, told us to be early, too) and he had told us he had a surprise for us. And sure enough, the surprise was going to the recording studio for the Gomera movies. Both the kids and I had been ecstatic, but Conan had been a bit of a downer with his ironic smile – which I had quickly pinched away from his cheeks, pulling on them playfully, getting an annoyed glare in return. Meh, it was worth it. So, here we were, at the studio. It was definitely worth getting up so early; plus, a good way to forgot what was happening later tonight.

There was a powerful sound effect as Gomera smashed the ground beneath his feet with his heavy steps, a clawed hand reaching out to grab a tiny train that was passing on rail nearby in the mini city. A horrible, Gomera-esque, roar left Gomera's mouth, the train dangling from his hands as he looked towards the sky. The scene was great, the acting wonderful, the sound effects awesome as smoke rose from places Gomera had destroyed along his path, and I could have actually immersed myself in the scene but – "_Cut!_"

Two, loud, beeps followed after, "Alright, that's a wrap!"

I deadpanned, quirking a half-smile as the kids beside me leaned forward in excitement. "Cool!" They cheered together, looking at Gomera in the middle of the city – even Conan was smiling wholeheartedly. "It's the real Gomera!" Genta grinned beside me and I blinked as footsteps came up behind our group of six. "He's just like I'd imagined." Mitsuhiko said and Ayumi chimed in her own comment, "Ah, he looks so strong!" She sounded starstruck, hands clenched in front of her.

"Well, long time no see, Agasa." A voice spoke from behind us, slightly muffled by a mustache. Agasa turned towards the voice and I looked over my shoulder, spotting a man with a cap – Gomera written across the top – and a maroon shirt on. Like I had thought, he had a mustache. "Oh, Mikami-kun!" The professor greeted. The man, Mikami, smiled before turning to look at all of us kids.

"Are these the kids who wanted a tour of the studio?" He questioned. Ah, so he didn't know that it was a surprise, then, I thought to myself as the professor gave an affirmative. The kids finally noticed the person behind us and turned to look at him. "Who's this guy?" Genta asked. At the question, the only official detective in our group also turned to see him.

"A friend of mine, who also happens to be the 'father' of Gomera, Director Mikami." The professor introduced happily. Mikami raised a hand, "Hello, kids." He leaned down a bit, hands on his hips. "Well, do you want to get a closer look at Gomera?" Ayumi gasped, "Can we?" The absolute hope in her voice was endearing, as was the looks on the other kids' faces, so surprised. "Sure, we're taking a break now. But, only for a little while." The director replied, arms now crossed as he smiled down at us.

I felt my face lit up, as did the other's. "Yay!" Genta and Ayumi chimed in unison, Ayumi even doing a small jump of joy, and the two were quick to run to the tiny city replica. With a grin, I tugged Mitsuhiko's wrist, "Come on, Tsuburaya-kun!"

Conan followed behind closely, like a doting parents watching his kids enjoy themselves.

ooOOoo

Walking through the tiny city was amusing. I felt like a giant, treading through some foolish mortals territory. Due to my lack of self-control, I couldn't keep a manic grin from creeping on my lips – I think it unnerved Conan a bit, or made him suspicious, because he was giving me a strange look from the corner of my eyes. Oh well.

Up ahead, I saw Genta and Ayumi stop walking. "These buildings are tiny." Genta commented, as if he couldn't believe it, as he looked around. Ayumi looked just as taken aback as the other before she pointed in a certain direction, "Hey, hey! Look!"

I clicked my tongue as a zipping sound filled my ears and Genta stated, shocked completely, "Gomera's back is opening!" And this, my friends, is when kids stop believing Gomera is real, I thought wearily, feeling a bit bad, but amused all the same. Mitsuhiko, Conan, and I all ran ahead, getting to the same openings between the buildings that the other two Detective Boys were at. A man popped out of the back of the Gomera outfit, sweating and looking very unkempt.

"Gomera just gave birth to some guy!" Genta gasped.

Conan laughed a bit, looking over to the others. "That's a costume, and it's used to make it look like the monster's rampaging in the city on film." He explained. "But, these buildings look so real." Genta said, and we all looked to said buildings to admire their life-like look. Really, the person who made them was amazing. Though, looking closer, you could tell the windows were made out of a plastic sheen – easy to replace and easy to removed. Genta brought a hand up to touch the building gently. Perhaps that was a bad idea, I reflected, as a sudden voice startled us all.

"You kids! Stop touching things with those dirty hands!" The man yelled from right behind us, the words jarring in my ears painfully and I winced, flinching as my eyes grew to the size of plates in shock, "If you break the set, I'm gonna beat your brains out!" The man continued in his gruff voice and I turned, feeling the need to retort. Crossing my eyes, I muttered balefully under my breath, much to the amusement of my fellow shrunken teen, "That'd be child abuse…,"

A pudgy finger was thrust in our direction as the director walked up beside the rude man. "Director! Can't you do something about these brats?" I glared at the finger defiantly, not liking that it was pointing at our group. Geez, who'd peed in his cereal this morning?

The director rose his hands placatingly, "Now, now…," He trailed. A new voice spoke up and my eyes glided to land on the person who had emerged from Gomera; he was wiping the sweat from his face with a small towel around his neck. "If you like, I can watch over these kids. I don't have any scenes until the afternoon." He offered, smiling as he walked closer. "Thank you, Matsui-kun." Mikami thanked his coworker.

"What a nice guy." Genta complimented happily. "Gomera is our ally." Ayumi added and Genta turned half-lidded eyes to the man from before – the rude one, "It's always the bad adults who blame Gomera." I snorted in amusement as the guy humphed and looked away. A new voice – female this time – chimed into the conversation and I blinked, looking over to a pretty woman with light brown hair pulled back into a long braid. Her bright, yellow, shirt and skirt fit her bubbly atmosphere. I recognized her easily from the Gomera movies.

"And the one who calms Gomera's anger is me, Emera the Fairy, kids." She introduced herself in a roundabout way, hands folded behind her back. It was easy to tell she liked kids by her demeanor.

"You mean the fairy that comes out of the ring to save the day?" Genta questioned. She smiled, "Yes, that's right." Genta's face grew a bit sour, though, at her agreement. "Lair! Emera's this small." He showed the size with his right hand. "But she looks just like her." Mitsuhiko said and I saw a bead of sweat appear on the woman's face as she gazed down at us with half-lidded eyes. A laugh bubbled up in my throat. "But doesn't she look a little older?" Genta asked, squinting at the woman suspiciously.

"How rude!" She pouted, leaning back from her stance to smile as the other coworkers laughed.

"Looks like you've got a great staff." Agasa's voice complimented off to the side, drawing my attention away from the laughter and bright smiles. "Yeah, we've put all of our love into Gomera for ten years. We're like family now." Mikami's voice answered back, tone fond. The moment of peacefulness was short-lived as another voice intervened. Again. Damn, there's a lot of people who were working here.

"Only until the end of this year." It was stern, but soft, and condescending at the same time. It instantly made me frown, not liking the man's attitude; I turned to see what the killjoy looked like. Curly black hair cut short on a boxy head, glasses framing dull, grey, eyes – not at all like Erise's father's eyes – and a snazzy suit made up the man. Even his appearance wasn't any better than his attitude, I mused, looking at his smirk/smile as he continued, "Monster movies are merely entertainment for the children. Their time has already passed."

To make it worst, he went on with a list of things bad about monster movies. By now, everyone was looking at him. "That annoying music, the same formula for every movie, those expensive sets and special effects, and the fairy that auditioned at fourteen is now twenty four." He let out a breath of a pompous laugh, "Better end it all now." Faces grew sour with all his listings and I felt myself glare a bit, too, not amused at all.

"Oh, that's right. The rush print of the movie is done. You should all go to the screening room and watch it." He announced, glancing at all of us with a superior gaze before he turned to walk away. Ugh, people like him make my stomach churn….

"You're not going, producer?" Emera, the fairy, asked. I still had yet to know her proper name. I hadn't been paying attention when she had introduced herself. My bad. I think it was Sakaguchi Tomomi, but I couldn't be sure. I'll just stick with Emera; it's easier to remember. He looked over his shoulder, "No. How about lunch, Tomomi-kun? We have some business to discuss, anyway." Ah, so her name was Tomomi. Okay, I'll stick with that then, I thought absently, resting my weight on one leg and letting the other bend a bit.

"No, thank you." Tomomi rejected and the producer didn't even seem to mind, instead just walking out of the door and disappearing around the frame. "Good riddance." I chuckled under my breath, ignoring the somewhat amused, stern, face from Conan – it seems he found my disliking of the guy amusing, but didn't exactly approve. I stuck my tongue out at him, eyes flitting back to the adults in the room when the director asked, "What was that all about?"

"About my next movie. He wants me to play a female detective." She deadpanned in annoyance, "How can he talk about that after criticizing all of us?"

"Well, it's good that you have another job lined up, isn't it? The rest of us are going to be out of work. Right, Mat-chan?" The rude man from before had a helpless face on as he looked to 'Mat-chan' – the guy who plays Gomera. The Gomera actor turned to his friend, "Uh, actually, they offered me the role of a criminal in the next movie." He sounded somewhat apologetic. The rude man – gosh, what was his name again? Daichi, was it? No, it was something else… – immediately got a bit grumpy again. "What? So, it's just me?"

Putting his hand in his pocket, Daiki – was that it? – began to walk out to the door, "Well, whatever. Let's go watch the draft of Gomera." He walked out. "See you, Matsui-kun. Watch after the kids." And with that, Mikami was also heading out the door with a short wave, leaving us alone with Gomera – Matsui, as it turned out. Agasa also left out the door with his friend, bidding us goodbye with a silent wave.

I blinked. Well, that was uneventful.

ooOOoo

"Wow! Look at all the monsters~!" Genta gasped. "These are all the ones Gomera defeated!" Mitsuhiko said in awe as we all looked at the several costumes around the room. There were costumes I recognized as monster of some movies and others that were random at best; spikes and bobbles and rock-like surfaces creating interesting monsters. I took a sip of the juice we had gotten from Matsui – it was pretty good, if a bit bland. The brand Kaito and Chikage bought was a lot more flavorful, in my opinion. But, maybe that was because I was used to drinking that kind; the others seemed to enjoy it well enough.

A large, clawed, hand was put on Ayumi's shoulder by Matsui and I held in a snicker as he gruffed in a manlier voice than usual, "_Oi_!"

With a shriek and an immediate jump to latch onto Conan, juice flew from her plastic cup to land on the guy's white tank top, straining a patch of it a light orange. It happened so fast that I had to blink to register what had happened. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't think it would scare you that much." Matsui apologized, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he pulled the arm away from Ayumi's general vicinity. A small, short, laugh escaped my lips, but I hide it behind a cough, not wanting to embarrass the other girl in our group.

Calm now, everyone looked at the intricate hand, taking in the details of the ridged plastic – made quite well to look like actual dinosaur skinning. Who ever made it definitely was talented at what they do. "What's that hand?" Conan asked curiously. Said hand was raised slightly so that we could get a better look at it. "It's Gomera's hand. We use it for close-ups." The actor explained, "We also have a movable Gomera face. Want to see it?" Oh, that sounds cool!

I raised my hand with the other three – Conan was being a bit slow at the take up – and chimed with them, "We do~!" I shock Shinichi a dry look as he deadpanned, raising his hand quite unexcitedly. Really, can't he just enjoy a regular day out with us?

The man smiled, "Wait here, I'll go get it." He began to walk towards the door. "Okay~!" And with a click, he was gone. It was kind of strange when the mood suddenly grew somber. "Are they really going to stop making Gomera movies? But, they're so fun to watch…," Ayumi said, shoulders slumped. "That guy said that they were too expensive to film." Genta commented and I was once again struck with how…interesting Genta's comments were. He usually seemed dim, but there was just underlying things in his words that said he paid close attention to those around him. Hm…

Mitsuhiko turned towards are large companion as I wandered around a bit, still taking in all the costumes. "It must be the bill for Gomera's food, since he's so big." The freckled boy concluded and I hid a fond smile as I turned to look closer at a monster costume with eight limbs and a face that resembled a cat and a raccoon and a human at the same time. It didn't look too pleasant.

My head whipped around to the door, pale, when a curdling scream erupted from inside of it. Conan was quick to start running to the room, as were the rest of us, as we followed him into the adjacent room Matsui had gone into. The door was flung open carelessly, banging on the wall – "M-Matsui-san!"

My eyes widened at the sight before me. Matsui sat on the ground, looking quite pained as he clutched his knee – his knee that was bleeding intensely. Conan hurried to his side, looking shocked, "What happened to your leg?" Matsui seemed to have finally noticed us kids, turning his head to look at us. We all had gotten a bit closer now. "I-It was Gomera!" _Hah?!_ The shrunken Heisei Holmes voice all our shock, "Gomera?!"

"Gomera was here and he stabbed me with a knife!" The wounded man continued. I couldn't help but let my brow furrowed in disbelief. Come on, can't we just have a _normal _outing once in a while? Though, now that I thought about it, this was definitely a bit familiar. "Where is he now?" Conan inquired.

"He ran through that door!" Matsui stated, pointing towards another door in front of him for a brief moment before going back to clutch his thigh. The layout of this building was strange, I thought absently, before focusing on the problem at hand. I shouldn't be getting distracted!

We sprinted forward, crashing through the other door like a small stampede, blatantly ignoring the call behind us – "Wait! Kids!" Going with the flow, we ran through a locker room of some sorts and ahead there was another door. Conan slammed it open – being our leader – and we entered a control room; well, at least, it _looked _like a control room. We all leaned forward to look out the large window in the front. The small city was visible.

"What is this place?" Genta asked. "I can see the studio." Mitsuhiko informed to the others question. Genta was in the back of us all, so it's possible he didn't see the city. "Huh? There's someone there!" Ayumi pointed out, finger extended to a man that was, indeed, in the middle of the city, looking like a giant. It was the snotty producer from before. As if voicing my thoughts, Genta's voice started, "Isn't that the producer?"

Something large and identifiable came up behind the man, and something tipped over, green staining fake roads. The man looked behind him and a long, butcher, knife in Gomera's hand glinted in the lights. We all gasped, face going pale, as we realized what was going to happen. It was inevitable. However, no one moved as we watched; like a car crash, horrible but you couldn't take your eyes away. The producer turned to face Gomera completely, backing up in shock – it seemed his mind wasn't working properly enough to suggest running.

Then, with a strong thrust of Gomera's arm, the knife was thrust into the producer's torso and as the knife was pulled back, the force knocked the man down to the floor, mouth gaping. Gomera turned and began to walk away, green paint trailing after him. It wasn't as grotesque as one would imagine; green paint didn't have the effect red paint probably would have had. I looked to the side as Conan moved from his position, running out a nearby door in the control room to get to the set. "Conan-kun!"

Blinking slightly, I hurried after, along with the children. "Wait!" In the distance, I could see Conan crouch to check the man's pulse, a grim expression settling over his features. Dead, then, definitely. Conan sprinted down one of the small street, to where Gomera had disappeared from, crouching once more to get a better look at the green paint. Then, he was off, and we finally managed to catch up to him, just behind him as we ran along the trail of green. "H-Hey, Conan!"

Another door was slammed opened and we were about to continue following when our running was cut short. Conan and Genta, the two in the front, fell backwards, obviously pushed back by the momentum of running to someone else. Mitsuhiko, Ayumi, and I had to crowd in the doorframe for a moment and I watched Tomomi fall down, managing to catch herself from falling completely with her hands braced behind her. She opened one eye – they'd been closed in shock – to look at us, "What are you doing?"

Conan disregarded the question quite rudely. "Have you seen Gomera?" He asked, stepping closer and the woman nodded, pointing to her left, where I could see Gomera's tail just disappearing around the corner. More green trails when in that direction and I wondered absently why he had to ask – he could just follow the paint. "Yes, over there. He bumped into me."

We immediately began our pursuit again, ignoring the, "Wait! Wasn't that Matsui-san…?" that came from behind. Dark green smeared around a corner and we followed, it thinning out as stairs came into view, footprints on each step, but missing the smudging the tail had brought upon. One step, two step, three step, four – the strain of running at full speed was fun and I nearly stumbled once, had my foot not already been upon the next step, balancing me as I went on easily.

We reached the top of the staircase quickly and Conan again opened another door, leading us all out onto the roof. Warm air hit my face, cooling me as I sucked in some fresh air; it was nice to be outside again, the smell of the paint had been overwhelming. "Huh?" Conan voice as we all scanned the roof – it was an expanse of clear area, stretching quite far. We walked a bit further out onto the roof – "Gomera's not here…," Ayumi trailed in confusion. Conan, of course, was frustrated, looking around with sharp eyes, muttering.

"Impossible! There's nowhere to hide." I almost laughed as he walked forward, frowning, but I didn't – only for the sole fact that it would attract his unwanted attention. All of us followed Conan as he walked to the edge of the building, the safety wall almost as tall as me, and towering over Conan and Ayumi just the slightest. I was in between Ayumi and Mitsuhiko's height, taller than Conan by a bit and shorter than Mitsuhiko a bit. Genta still towered over me, like he did with the rest. He was really tall for his age.

"Maybe he flew away?" Genta suggested. Conan reached the edge and stood on a small foothold to see over the edge as Mitsuhiko scolded, "Genta-kun, Gomera can't fly."

There was a gasp of surprise from Conan as his eyes moved downward and we all stepped on the foothold to peer over the edge as well. Smoke billowed in the air, black and cloudy, and fire raged on top of fake reptilian skin – Gomera was on fire on the cement, lying on the floor prone after the fall. "He fell off the roof–" Conan jumped off the foothold, running back to the door on the other side of the roof. "Damn, a suicide?" He thought out loud, ignoring our existence as he continued. We didn't follow this time.

I blinked, stepping off the ledge, sighing to myself as I dug my cell phone out of the back pocket of my camouflage capris. It was a hilarious clash with the cotton, rainbow, sweater I had pulled over – not closed – a black t-shirt that had the words 'Don't start wars' randomly on it in a cool font and the red flats I was wearing. I probably could have coordinated better, but I didn't really care. It's not like little kids were high on fashion, either way, so it was fine to look mismatched.

"Koizumi-san, what are you doing?" Mitsuhiko questioned curiously, watching as I punched in 110. I gave him a little ironic smile. "This seems to be a reoccurring theme." I said dryly, eyes glancing up to the blue sky – it looked bleached a bit with the sun shining brightly and I squinted at it, "I'm calling the cops. It seems we'll get the chance to endure another case." I flashed the boy a smirk and was a bit amused to see him give a small 'oh'.

"_110, please state your emergency."_

"Uh, yes. There's been a murder and an assault. Someone was stabbed in the leg. We're currently at…"

ooOOoo

The police arrived quite quickly. Our group had gathered back on the first floor and Conan had arrived back into the building after checking out the Gomera costume. He had informed us it had been empty and I had informed him that I had called the police. As if on timing, the police had arrived at that moment, Megure-keibu in the lead. And so here we were, accompanying the inspector for questioning.

"Pardon me, but where were you at 11:30 AM, the time of the murder?" Megure questioned, looking at the director, who was sweating buckets. The back of his shirt around his shoulders was soaked through, the maroon color darkened to a bloody red – _eww…_

The expression on his face was worried as he began, "I was alone in a studio on the first floor, doing a final continuity check on the film." He wiped some sweat from his cheek with a handkerchief. "So there were no witnesses?" Megure's tone was suspicious as he stared the man down. Mikami nodded, "No."

Conan walked up to the man, taking in his sweaty appearance. "You've worked up quite a sweat, director-san." He commented 'innocently'. A smile twitched on my lips. "I tend to sweat a lot." The director answered, leaning down to talk face-to-face with the smaller.

Then we went to the storeroom Matsui was currently prone at. Megure turned to look at Matsui, who was currently getting his leg bandaged by an officer. "When you entered this storeroom, the criminal was already standing here wearing the Gomera costume, correct?"

The rugged man nodded, "Y-Yes." He seemed about to say something more, but was cut off as a pained groan escaped his lips as the officer tightened the bandage. Everyone seemed to pause in concern, and Megure voice most of our thoughts, "Are you alright?" The unidentified officer bandaging Matsui spoke up. "I've managed to stop the bleeding, but he needs to be treated at the hospital." He explained and Megure leaned back with a hum, crossing his arms. "There's no way he could have committed the murder with his injured leg." Megure-keibu decided.

We then quickly located Tomomi. "At the time of the murder, why were you here, Sakaguchi-san?" The inspector asked sternly, doing his stare down thingie once more. His eyes were very _intense_; I found myself shifting uncomfortably, wishing Kin was here so that I could distract myself with him. But, Akako had come earlier to take care of him for me and even though he liked her better than Kaito, he had still had a sulking air about him as I had departed that morning. Animals, unfortunately, weren't allowed in the studio, after all.

I wanted the producer to see the rush of the Gomera movie." Her smile softened out, "I wanted him to see how well it was done." Megure's eyes just narrowed. "'Rush'?" "It's a rough draft of the movie after it's been partially filmed." She explained before turning to survey the crime scene in the tiny city behind her, body outlined and officers taking photos already, "But I never thought something like this would happen." _Nobody_ expect something like _this_. _I_ didn't and I had freakin' _watched_ the anime series – some things were just meant to be an unpleasant surprise, I suppose.

"Tomomi-san, you saw the back of the criminal wearing the suit, didn't you?" Conan asked. "Huh?" She looked down at him in surprise before answering. "Yes, but I couldn't see who it was. However, the way he was running…," She trailed. "The way he was running…?" Megure jumped at the sentence. "Yes, it looked like he was having a hard time running. Almost as though he couldn't get a hang of it…,"

"Of course. If anyone besides Matsui-kun tried to walk in that thing, they'd move like that." The director announced, walking up from behind Tomomi and catching all our attention.

"So, that means everyone besides Matsui-san, Sakaguchi-san, and director Mikami was in the screening room." Megure deduced. I flinched as a familiar voice spoke up, "That's right. I saw the rush, as well." Agasa entered the conversation. Megure turned to him in confusion. "And you are?"

The professor pointed to himself with an offended face, "I'm Agasa! The brilliant professor who lives next door to Shinichi-kun!" That seemed to ring a bell.

"Oh, he told me about you! You're always making crazy inventions!" The inspector exclaimed, pointing to the white-haired scientist. "Well…," The professor trailed, rubbing the back of his head modestly while letting out a kind laugh. He leaned down to Conan as the inspector turned a way, giving him a face, "Why, you…," Conan flinched before putting his hands up placatingly, "Now, now…,"

Agasa's attention was snatched away by Megure as he questioned, "So, the staff was all in the screening room?" Agasa lifted his hand to gesture to Tomomi, "She was the only one who left in the middle of it." He informed. Suddenly, he changed his mind, bringing his hand to his chin, "Actually, there was someone else who left…,"

"Who was it?"

"It was…," The thought was interrupted by another voice coming from the tiny city. "_Look_, I _told_ you, I _don't_ know where this paint came from!" The voice was familiar enough. The rude man. Agasa made a hum before turning and pointing at said rude man, "It was him!" We turned to look at the man as he continued to grump at an officer, "We were going to film in the afternoon. Why would I leave a can of paint lying around on the set?!"

ooOOoo

After we'd finally gotten the man to calm down a bit, the inspector began his questioning. "Yeah, I left." The man admitted, looking to the side and cleaning out his ear absently, "While watching the rush, I noticed some things I needed to fix on the set." He sounded honest enough and he brought down his hand to point at himself with a thumb indignantly, "You aren't making me a suspect, are ya?"

"Adachi-san only left for four or five minutes." A random studio worker testified. Definitely not enough time to commit the crime, I decided.

Adachi turned to look at the paint-stained city road, arms crossed, "Anyway, who left this paint can here?" Tomomi spoke up, "Wasn't it you, Adachi-san?" I turned to look at the woman, as did Adachi, looking startled. She smiled and there was something in her expression that made me frown deeply, my brows furrowing. "After the morning rehearsal, you left it there. Did you forget?" Even in her tone, there was something odd. My eyes darted to Adachi's face, who was blank for a moment, before something dawned to him. My eyes narrowed.

"Oh! I forgot all about it!" He announced suddenly, putting a hand to the back of his head as he told the inspector. The inspector deadpanned, "Geez…,"

Conan stepped forward a bit, "Hey, why didn't Matsui-san watch the rush?" The rude man crossed his arms, "I don't know. We asked him, but he said he didn't want to." Tomomi and Mikami walked closer at the denial of knowledge. "Don't be upset. He _did_ say he wanted to quit being Gomera." The director soothed.

"Matsui-san did?" Conan sounded surprised and I blinked before sighing absently, scratching at my neck. "Yeah, he mentioned it to the producer once. He said he had enough of being Gomera and wanted to take a normal role." The director's tone was somber. And hey – who could blame him? One of his actors didn't like his job and had enough of it; that was enough to make any director sad.

Conan looked down in thought.

ooOOoo

We – the Detective Boys – were currently retracing our steps. Again, Conan was in the lead, hands in his pockets, face serious. We walked on in silence for a while, arriving at the base of the staircase, where we stopped. Mitsuhiko bent a bit to check the green trail and Ayumi broke the silence, "Hey….Conan-kun, let's make a grave for Gomera." She suggested, sounding heartbroken at the mere thought of Gomera being dead. Conan ignored her, looking up to the door at the top of the stairs. Naturally, Ayumi tried to grab his attention. "Come on, Conan-kun, a grave–"

"–_Shut up_! We don't have time for that now!" The shrunken Heisei Holmes snapped, face a bit red in frustration, startling me and making be flinched back into the wall, Ayumi also flinching away from him, tears appearing in her eyes in shock.

Genta got in front of me, Ayumi backing up to him, fist clenched. "Don't get mad like Gomera!" He roared protectively.

Instantly, just like that, the anger from Conan's face disappeared, leaving only baffled shock, "Like Gomera?" He queried. Genta moved forward, pointing downwards to the paint on the stairs. "Look here! There's no tailprint on the on the stairs, right? It's proof that Gomera was angry when he climbed the stairs." He said, as if it was obvious. My eyes flitted to the detective, who seemed to be having a revelation as Mitsuhiko continued, "Because when Gomera gets angry, he raises his tail."

And bingo~! Just like that, Conan's revelation completely. Then he was off, moving to the side and beginning to run down the stairs parallel to the ones that went up to the roof. "O-Oi!" Genta called, unheeded, and we hurried after him. I feel like I've been doing quite a lot of running lately, I mused, arms spread out as I dashed down the stairs. One step, two step, three step, four… "Wh-What's going on, Conan?" Genta shouted as we followed the shortest of the group to another room on the floor just below the one we had been one. "Oi!"

Another door was burst open carelessly and he ran into the room, boxes and other random things lining the walls, straight to the window at the end of the room. It slid open with little noise and we finally made it to the room, catching up with the surprisingly fast runner as he stopped. We crowded around him as he continued looking downwards, glasses glinted with light from who-knows-where. There was a small smile on his lips that gave me a chill.

"What are you looking at?" Ayumi asked, popping her head up to look out the window. "What is it?" Mitsuhiko questioned, doing the same. "Hey, Conan!" Genta grumped, popping up as well. I took that as my cure, popping up right after Genta, "Oi, tell us, Edogawa-kun!" I whined, before spotting what he was looking at. Gomera's costume was currently being investigated by some officers.

And then there was a laugh. A laugh from Conan's lips, sounding childish and happy – but it was anything but. I flinched back, feeling goosebumps prick up my arms and the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. Conan maneuvered between us and was once again off, leaving the room in a run. "Conan-kun?"

With nothing else much to do, we ran after him again – I closed the window behind us and closed the door – and ended up in front of a door marked 'Studio A'. Two officers were guarding the door, not letting us pass. "Eh?! Why won't you let us in the studio?!" Conan whined, leaning forward as the officers looked down at us. "I can't, I can't. This isn't a place for kids." The officer-guard with his hands on his hips scolded, as his partner watched on with his arms crossed.

"This way." Conan directed, running again. We followed after and I got the odd sense of feeling like Kin. _Haha…_

Conan stopped at the end of the hall wall, leaning back against it and peering sneakily over the edge. We huddled behind him. "Oh man, there's one here, too…," He mumbled before he smiled, going around the edge. He tiptoed to a door that wasn't being guarded slowly and we followed, looking to the officer-guard at the end of the hall nervously. Conan opened the door quietly, the back labeled 'Storage Room #1'. He noticed.

"Hey!" The officer shouted, mouth moving away from where he'd been saying something in his walky-talky. Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, Genta, and I hurried into the room discretely as Conan kept the door opened, "We forgot something." We all smiled to the officer sweetly before we dashed into the room, the door slamming behind us.

We walked through the storage room, the one we'd passed through before earlier, and to the room Matsui was in. The director, Agachi, Tomomi, and Agasa were all there. "What's wrong, everyone?" Conan asked. Tomomi was fretting over her injured colleague, it seemed, and the rude man was helping Matsui stand, the director standing watch. "Oh, Conan-kun." Agasa greeted. "We're taking Matsui-kun to the hospital." The director answered.

Agachi finally managed to wound Matsui's arm around his neck with little help from Tomomi, standing with the other leaning against him for support. He didn't look too happy about helping, but did so anyways. Seems like he was a good guy, after all – just annoyed a lot. "With that leg, he won't be able to act as Gomera for a while." The professor commented, walking closer to look down at the other's injured thigh.

"Gomera nothing – he won't be able to do any acting at all." Agachi grumbled, still looking unpleased.

Once the workers, along with their injured colleague had left, Agasa turned to Conan. "So?" He asked and Conan blinked up at him in question. Agasa leaned in to whisper in Shinichi's ear. Though, I could still hear him easily from my spot beside the professor. It seems like a lot of people weren't skilled in whispering, I mused in amusement. "Have you solved the case yet?"

"No, I'm still not sure who the culprit is." Conan replied and his hand curled around his chin in the classical 'thinking-pose'. "Also, why did the killer attack Matsui-san in this storage room?" Agasa's brow furred, but he suggested, "Maybe he came here to get the murder weapon and then Matsui-san came in and saw him." My eyes glanced to the kids, seeing they were talking amongst themselves, before I looked back to Conan in interest.

Conan gasped, running towards a box not too far from us. The box was marked 'Edged Tools'. He began to rummage through the fake weapons in the box. "A movie prop couldn't kill anyone." He vetoed. He kept looking through some of the things before he flinched, pulling his hand out of the things, taking a look at his finger with a somewhat pained face. Suddenly, something dawned.

He turned serious eyes towards the both of us, thinking for a moment, and I raised a brow. Crossing my arms after a moment, I gave him a tiny smile, "I take it you figured something out, Edogawa-kun?"

He blinked at me, as if just getting out of his thoughts, before giving a smirk, looking quite accomplished. "Yeah, I figured out who the murderer is."

Now, my smile morphed into a smirk, as well, and I glanced up towards a clock in the room before turning to chuckle at him. He deadpanned at my next words and Agasa gave a small laugh as I snickered, "About time. You're late."

**Review Replies:**

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Yay~! I'm glad! 8D I was worried people would be like, "What kinda lair is that?" XDD Haha, me, too~! (Snickers) (Laughs) It could possibly be the same… (Trails and looks innocently to the side) Kudo will explain it easily~! (Laughs) ((Feels kinda bad what I'm gonna make Midori go through, but finds it amusing)) XD And yeah, I had that in mind, too, when I was writing it. XD (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan! 8D **

**To: MiniMiao – Thank you! 8D And me, too! They're always fun to read. ^^ As for the sequel, this series is a trilogy series – it has three corresponding stories. Another ones in this world and the other is how you requested. It may – probably – will take a while for me to get to that story, but hopefully you'll be patient with me. XD **

**To: MagicMilkbone – Ah, tests. (Winces in sympathy) I have a whole bunch I still need to do… (Frowns) But, yup, she was deaf for a while! Though, it wasn't permanent, since it was only nerve deafness. After encountering an explosion, some people have temporary deafness due to the rattle the explosion causes – it can either be temporary or last. Yay for research~! XD And thank you! 8D Me too. XD I really want one to chill at, lol. Ah, don't worry, I'm extremely lazy and such at solving codes – I only like making them. XD Your theory was super-duper close! XD Ah, I hope she can get it for you soon. ^^ **

**-Whoo, this was sorta hard to write. XDD Continuation will come next, then the heist, and some things happen… XD See you next time! ^^ **

**Omake:**

**Conan stepped forward a bit, "Hey, why didn't Matsui-san watch the rush?" The rude man crossed his arms, "I don't know. We asked him, but he said he didn't want to." I blinked – ignoring the script in the back of my mind – before smirking up at them, crossing my arms. "Wow, the animators made a big mistake. Perhaps it was Gosho-sensei, though." **

**Conan turned to me, "Eh?" **

"_**Well**_**, earlier, Matsui-san didn't watch it because he was **_**watching us**_**. He offered, remember?" I stated the obvious, frowning a bit. How could they mess that up? It hadn't even happened that long ago. What were these people thinking? I rolled my eyes in annoyance and Conan deadpanned, along with the other people around.**

"**Koizumi, quit ruining the script…," **

**- Breaking the forth wall! (Laughs) 'Cause I noticed that mistake. Also, the kids disappear in several scenes, even though they're supposed to be there. XDD;; Anyways, it's three in the morning! Good night~! 8D **


	37. Big Monster Gomera Murder Case (Part 2)

**A/N: This chapter….Why don't I like how this chapter turned out? (Conflicted) I was having so much fun writing it and then after I was pulled away from it by my sister one night (yes, I'm blaming her, lol, because otherwise I would have stayed up all night and posted it then), I haven't been able to get back in the groove for this story… Hopefully, it comes back. (Sighs) Enjoy? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form.**

Chapter Thirty Seven

Conan was shuffling through his pockets, looking somewhat frustrated, his bowtie clenched between his teeth. He pulled one back out, a muffled question of confusion escaping his mouth and he pulled out the other, looking at it with baffled eyes. He began looking through his jacket's inner pocket.

"What's wrong, Shinichi?" Agasa asked. I smirked from my spot – obviously, Agasa forgot I was here. Again.

"I don't have my tranquilizer watch." He grumbled, still searching before he blinked in realization, mouth opening and his bowtie falling – he caught it just before it fell to the floor. He looked to Agasa and he grinned mischievously. He walked closer to the professor.

"Say, Hakase," He crowed and Agasa leaned down so that the shrunken teen could whisper in his ear. I smirked to myself as he finished his request. It seems like we'd be able to go home soon. I was getting hungry, so that was a good thing. I just hope that the later police questioning – that would inevitably come – wouldn't take too long.

ooOOoo

"Inspector, we're going to take Matsui-kun to the hospital." Mikami, the director, announced to Megure, pointing a thumb to their group of supporters for the Gomera actor. We were back in the filming room with everyone else. The inspector turned to regard them, nodding and making a small noise of affirmative. They were just on the way to head out when Agasa's voice cut them off, loud and clear and accented by him thrusting his hand out forward in a somewhat comical 'hero' gesture. "Just a moment!"

The inspector and all the Gomera workers flinched before turning back to look at the professor, who had closed his eyes in semblance of seriousness. "I have deduced that one of them is the killer!" He turned his eyes to the suspects. Megure was the first to speak up again, "What did you say?" The shock of everyone was thick in the air. Shinichi scowled behind the tiny building he was hiding behind, covering his mouth and leaning to talk to the professor in a hushed whisper-shout, "Oi, all you have to do is lip-synch to what I'm going to say!"

Agasa raised his hand to cover his mouth, eyes sliding to the side, "Come on, let me act cool for a bit." The professor whispered back in a carefree voice.

"Well, then, Agasa-san, if you know who the killer is, can you explain to us the reasoning behind the murderer's disappearance on the roof?" Megure inquired in his usual no-nonsense tone. It was tone that I was getting oddly used to hearing from him – and obviously, I'd be probably hearing it a lot more in the future. My habit of getting involved – voluntarily or involuntarily – with cases was something that occurred quite often and even though it'd only been almost three months or so, I'd already been in five cases, not including this one. However, the sound of that no-nonsense tone was kind of comforting.

"Special effects!" The professor answered, as if it was obvious and with so much confidence. Conan reacted with a startled face and I resisted the urge to laugh at everyone else's incredulousness as Agasa continued, "You know, like holograms and stuff. I'm sure the killer projected those to trick you." He put a hand up to cover his mouth again, turning to wink in Shinichi's general direction, "Right?" To say that the shrunken Heisei Holmes was deadpanned was an understatement.

Tomomi pushed her way to the front and I saw Megure-keibu deadpan at Agasa's claim, "What are you talking about?" She crossed her arms defiantly, "I bumped into the killer in the hallway and saw him running away!" Fail, professor. Big fail, I chuckled internally, masking it as a cough on the outside.

Agasa rose his hands in a placating way, spluttering a bit, "I-I was just joking, joking! What really happened was–" "–It was a trick!" The professor startled, looking utterly shocked, before he regained his composure, eyes sliding to the side to give Shinichi a little glare that he ignored as he continued his deductions, "And a relatively simple one, too. Tomomi-san and the kids only saw the killer turn the corner in the hallway. We don't know if the killer went up the stairs or not."

"But there were footprints on the stairs." Megure-keibu protested.

"You're right…," Agasa stumbled, obviously not used to being on the end of such serious attention. "Oi, lip-synch to my words." Conan once again told the professor, getting a stuttering 'r-right' in return. The professor's lip-synching once he actually tried was perfect – there wasn't one thing out of place, like he already knew the deduction beforehand. It was pretty awesome and much better than I could've ever done, that's for sure.

"The killer made the footprints on the stairs in advance! Hardly anyone goes up to the roof. The killer put the footprints there because they would be easily overlooked. When he made those footprints, he most likely used only Gomera's feet. The evidence for that is the fact that there's a tailprint in the hallway, but not on the stairs. The killer stopped before the stairs with the footprints, quickly took off the costume, and went downstairs, where he entered a room, set the costume on fire, and threw it out the window." 'Agasa' deduced.

"Oh!" Megure hummed, but was overpowered by the _real _professor as he exclaimed, "Oh, I see!" "Eh?" Obviously, there was some confusion at the professor's revelation, since he supposedly already knew the answer. The professor brought his hands up in surrender again, "Oh, nothing…," He grinned weakly before he turned to cough professionally into his hand.

"But he couldn't have known if or what color of paint would be left on the set. How could he have made the footprints in advance?" Tomomi interjected, turning to look to the rude man who was still helping Matsui stand, "Right, Adachi-san?"

"Yeah, I accidently left that paint can on the set before the murder." Adachi agreed.

Megure turned deadpanned eyes to the professor, "Oi, oi…It looks like the facts are inconsistent with your theory." The professor flinched, but was quick to start mouthing words again as Conan continued, glasses glinting to hide his overly intelligent eyes. "Of course they are. That's because Tomomi-san and Adachi-san are lying to protect the killer." The glint disappeared to reveal cerulean eyes set in a glare.

"Eh?!"

"L-Lying?" Megure asked in disbelief. "The killer was the one who left that paint, so that he could use it in his footprint trick." The 'professor' clarified. The inspector pointed a finger at Tomomi and Adachi, who were looking relatively guilty by now. "Then they know who the killer is?" Megure shouted.

"Adachi-san is probably just following Tomomi-san's lead. But Tomomi-san should know. She probably found out when she bumped into him in the hall." By now, Tomomi looked incredibly guilty. "Then, who is it?" Megure questioned, eager to know the killer. The deduction continued, "The ones who weren't in the screening room were Director Mikami and Matsui-san. Tomomi-san and Adachi-san left in the middle of the screening. The killer is one of them. Adachi-san was only gone four or five minutes. He couldn't have done it. Tomomi-san, who saw the culprit with the kids, is also innocent. So, we're left with Director Mikami and Matsui-san."

There was a pause as the professor turned to look in Conan's direction, looking worried. "Hey, Matsui-san is badly injured, and Mikami-kun is a close friend of mine…," There were some half-lidded glares, but Conan ignored both the professor's worried half-whispers and the looks and went on.

"The killer is someone nobody suspected. Yes, the killer is–"

"Hey, what are you doing, Conan-kun?" Ayumi questioned innocently, effectively cutting off the deduction. Genta and Mitsuhiko were behind her, looking just as curious. Conan gave a look of someone caught in the act of robbery for a moment before it was replaced with some irritation. "Don't bother me! Go away! Shoo, shoo!" The voice came out as the professor's as Conan's waved a hand in the 'go away' motion and I couldn't help the bubble of laughter that surfaced as I walked up and guided the kids away to help out a bit.

"Go away? Shoo, shoo?" Megure asked, confused. The professor turned back to look at the inspector, putting a hand behind his back sheepishly. "Oh, just some flies. Shoo, shoo!" He covered ungracefully, making a shooing motion with his hand. Megure went right back to the point. "So? Who's the culprit?" I gave Conan a wink for support as the kids finally decided to heed my silent gesturing to leave him alone for now. He gave me a displeased expression as I shot him a grin, but went back to the unveiling of the culprit.

"The killer is you, Matsui-san!"

There was a short moment of shock before it was destroyed by the rude man shouting, "_Idiot_! How could Mat-chan run around in that heavy costume with his leg _injured_?"

Beside me, I saw the kids nodding in agreement to what Adachi had said, obviously wanting the culprit to be someone else other than the Gomera actor. I let a small smile onto my lips as I sighed and shoved my hands into my sweater's pockets. They'd be pretty disappointed once they realized that Matsui really _was_ the culprit. As if to accent my thoughts, Conan – 'Agasa' – questioned, "But was that injury really inflicted before the murder?"

"Then, that wound was–?" The inspector gasped.

"That's right. The wound was inflicted _after _the crime. After he threw out the costume, he returned to the storage room and stabbed himself with another knife. It was all an act!" Conan proclaimed, tone steel, like it always was when dealing with criminals. The inspector walked a bit closer in interest, "But the kids saw the wound before the murder."

I decided to bump in, smirking a bit as the inspector looked down at me curiously. The kids were looking at a Gomera arm used for close-ups, so they didn't notice me sneak away. "It could have been fake blood. Since we're in a movie studio, it should be easy to find." I intoned a bit childishly before looking up at the professor, "Isn't that right, Hakase~?"

"Uh, y-yeah." I couldn't tell if that was the professor or Conan, but the inspector continued on, "But immediately after seeing the wound, didn't they see Gomera in the studio? There is only one hallway that connects the storage room and the studio. How did Matsui-san catch up to the kids?" Megure-keibu asked.

"If you leave the storeroom using the exit facing the hallway, the studio is right in front of you. After the kids left, he probably took that route. He then put on the suit and killed Producer Kamei. For the trick to work, he needed a witness to follow the footprints."

"I see…That's why he insisted on taking care of the kids, who would run the slowest." Megure concluded, taking a peek at the kids, who were still having a lot of fun investigating the Gomera arm. "And kids will always follow something interesting in a group." 'Agasa' pointed out and I didn't exactly get the reason why he felt the need to, but meh. Who knows what's running through that detective's head, right? "In order to remove traces of sweat from the costume, it had to be set on fire."

"Then what is the proof that Matsui-san is the killer?" Megure asked once more – he seemed to be wanting to get on with it. So was I; sure, listening to deductions were interesting most of the time, but I was _dying_ of _starvation _here! My stomach grumbled soundlessly underneath my shirt and I grimaced, willing Shinichi to _hurry the freak up_.

"The second knife, with which he stabbed his leg, is in the storage room. It's probably in a box of props." Agasa said, face losing its serious glare, "His leg was wounded, so there was nowhere else he could have hid it. And another thing: the shirt Matsui-san is wearing!" My eyes flitted to said shirt with everyone else's eyes and I blinked. What was missing? It didn't come to mind at the moment, but I didn't have to dwell on it long as Conan/Agasa went on at the inspector's inquiring 'his shirt?'.

"The murderer was wearing a heavy suit and moving at full speed; his shirt would've been soaked with sweat." The inspector's gaze went back to the pristine, white, shirt Matsui was wearing and it finally dawned on me. _The stain_! "But his shirt isn't." The inspector pointed out.

"Of course not. That's because he changed it." "H-He changed it?" Yes, yes, he did. "This kid will explain what I mean." And with that, Conan popped out from behind the small building he'd been hiding behind – one of his better hiding spots, if I remember correctly – and pointed to himself as he chimed, "It's me!" He ran from out behind the building and up to Adachi and Matsui – Adachi looked worried for his colleague while Matsui had this defeated look that made my stomach curl uncomfortably.

"Do you remember? Ayumi-chan spilled juice on your shirt in the storage room." Conan reminded childishly. Matsui winced at the proclamation and Conan went up to look at his shirt closer, "But that's weird; there's no stain." He grabbed the shirt to see the spot where the stain should have been, "Where'd you change it? With your wounded leg, you shouldn't have been able to move."

Tomomi walked up behind Conan and kneeled down and grabbed his shoulders gently to turn his to look at her. "Little boy, don't you think you have your facts confused?" Conan blinked and turned to face her fully. Tomomi had this helpless smile on her face as she tried to persuade the shrunken teen, "Maybe it didn't spill on his shirt, but on the floor."

"But, I really…," "Are you really, really, sure? Please think again. Please…little boy…," Her hands had started to tremble a bit and tears were gathering at the edges of her eyes as she practically pleaded that he change his statement. I almost felt bad for her, but then again, she was trying to protect a murderer. No matter his reasons for killing the producer, he was still a killer – nothing justified killing someone. …._Oh no_, I'm starting to sound like _Shinichi_…. The thought sent a shudder down my spine.

Conan himself looked really surprised at her genuine want to protect Matsui. "It's alright, Tomomi-chan." Matsui interjected. Tomomi gasped, looking up to her coworker, but Matsui paid no heed, looking to the inspector. "Just as the boy said, I broke a sweat and had to change. The other shirt is in my bag." He smiled a bit and it looked utterly…calm. It was strange, but perhaps the weight of murder was a bit too big on his shoulders.

"Okay, check it out!" Megure ordered to two officers standing behind him. They ran off to go check. "Why? Why did you kill the producer? Did you have your next job lined up?" Adachi questioned Matsui, who was still had an arm slung around his shoulder for support.

"I never even considered doing anything else." Matsui informed and his eyes opened the slightest to show sad, brown depths. "I only wanted to play Gomera."

"But – I heard you want to quit the role." Mikami reeled back in shock. Matsui turned to look at the director, "Producer Kamei started that rumor. I knew something wasn't right; everyone would smile sadly and cheer me on. I only found out about his lie two weeks ago. When I asked Producer Kamei about it, he said he already told the public that this was Gomera's last battle, so there was no turning back." There was a moment of silence as he seemed to remember something unpleasant.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mikami asked, forlorn at the events. Matsui tilted his head downwards to stare at the tiles beneath him, "I couldn't. Everyone was putting their hearts and souls into the last production. I just couldn't do it." He looked up to all his fellow workers, who had eventually come into the room. There were camera workers and stage setters and even film editors all lined up in the room, looking on sadly. "But, I don't regret what I did. At least for the time being, we won't be able to film Gomera's death scene." He sounded happy – yet very sad – at that fact as a police officer traded places with Adachi and he was lead on his way out of the studio.

He turned back to look at everyone one last time, "I only wish the children hadn't seen such a horrible thing." With that, he was led away, this time not looking back.

There was a moment of sad silence before Adachi spoke up. "Tomomi-chan, did you really see Mat-chan in that suit?" He asked, as if he was hoping that she didn't and that they could somehow change the past. Tomomi finally broke her gaze away from the spot Matsui had disappeared around the corner and shook her head with a slight smile, tears still pooling in her eyes. Conan, still in front of her, almost looked regretful for once at revealing the truth of the matter.

"No, I couldn't see anything. He disappeared too quickly." She said truthfully. Conan blinked in surprise, "Then, how did you–?"

She leaned a bit closer, resting her forehead against Conan's with a small, sad, laugh. "Silly. I didn't have to see inside to know; I could tell by the way he moved. After all, for these past ten years…," She closed her eyes sorrowfully, the smile still on her lips, "He's been my partner."

And so was the conclusion of the Gomera case.

It was a bit of a bitter ending, but I was glad it was over. I was freakin' hungry.

ooOOoo

By the time police questioning was over and done with, it was already three and I was starving to death. The questioning had taken longer than I had expected, but at least I'd been treated kindly by the police people, since they tended to act extra nice to kids – it was nice, but the sugary sweet tone was a bit aggravating once you listened to it enough and were starving. I think they had noticed my irritation, but it had only made them tread a bit lighter. But, finally, it was over.

I had just finished – clumsily – texting Kaito that I'd be back soon and to please have some type of food ready when I got there when Conan had stepped up beside me. I was a bit surprised by his appearance, since we had all just parted way, but I offered him a grin. "What is it, Edogawa-kun?" I asked casually, stuffing my phone back into my pocket.

He stared at me for a moment – unnervingly so – before finally getting to the point. "Koizumi…Did you know who the murderer was before he was revealed?" He questioned, eyes set in a serious stare. I looked away, not able to stay on the receiving end for long, and my steps faltered for a moment before I picked them up, trying to act normal. Not that it mattered – he had obviously already saw it.

My mind whizzed for answered and I bit my lip before turning to smirk at him as the bus stop came into view, the bus waiting and already boarding people. "What do you _think_, Edogawa? Or should I say…'Agasa-hakase'?" I teased before dashing off to board the bus before he could gather his wits.

His gaping face when the bus past was definitely worth the added suspicion I would probably be getting from him.

ooOOoo

"I'm home, Kaito-niichan!" I hummed, walking in and leaving my shoes in the genkan as I trailed into the house; I immediately headed for the kitchen, which was letting out nice, familiar, scents. I peeked around the edge of the wall and saw Kaito sitting at the table, eating a sandwich, another one on the other side of the table, still steaming. He looked up from his food with a smile, "Welcome home, Alice-chan~! How was your trip with your friends?" He questioned brightly.

My eye twitched and I gave a small, dry, laugh, taking a seat at the plate on the other end of the table. "Thanks for the food, Kaito-niichan!" I thanked before going on, "And the trip was…interesting. We went to the studio that they make the Gomera movies at. Someone ended up being murdered, though, but they caught the culprit easily enough. It put a bit of a damper on things, but it was overall a good visit." I said honestly, taking a bite of my food, only to look down in surprise. Grilled cheese?

Kaito chuckled at my surprised expression. "I looked up some common American dishes and this one seemed interesting. I thought you might like a taste of home." He grinned, "It tastes pretty good for American food~!" He joked and I gave a small laugh, internally grateful. Japanese food had been wearing down on me for a while now – it's not that I didn't like it, it's just that I had begun to miss my usual food starches. I didn't voice my thoughts, though, knowing he understood my gratefulness by the quirk in his smile.

Then, he frowned. "But, Alice-chan, are you sure you're hanging around a good crowd? I mean, this is the third time you've encountered some type of crime, right?" He sounded concerned – and hey, no one could blame him. A laugh bubbled in my throat and I quickly swallowed it down with another bite of my grilled cheese, feeling oddly amused. A good crowd, I mused, I wasn't exactly sure if hanging out with Conan was a good idea; with his luck and mine combined, I'd end up dead before I even made it back home.

I still remember Kaito's reaction to the Library Murder Case thing – the next morning, it had been in the newspapers about how a group of kids (unnamed) had stopped a murderer and drug smuggler late at night. Of course, it didn't take long for the great Kaitou KID to fit the puzzle pieces together and he had praised me, but warned me to no do anything like that again, since I didn't know if I would get hurt or something. I'd dodged promising anything, so he probably knew that I would probably do something like that again in the future. Much to his exasperation.

Then there had been the Secret of the Moon, Star, and Sun case with the wounds and all and now there was _this _case; another murder.

"W-Well, you know, Edogawa-kun likes to solve mysteries and so do I! We're the Detective Boys, after all~!" I grinned, ignoring the brief flash of emotion in Kaito's eyes that was becoming increasingly familiar – that 'darn, she wants to be a detective, why does she want to be a detective?' look. It was amusing, actually. Like he was bemused that his 'little sister' figure wanted to be – was – a detective, but he was Kaitou KID.

"And about that name, Alice-chan. I'm curious; are you the only girl in the group?" He asked in interest.

A bead of sweat ran down my cheek, "Ah, no – Yoshida-san is also a girl. I'm sure we'll get more girls in the future, too, but for some reason, we're called the Detective Boys." I shrugged. "You'd have to ask the others about that. I have no idea." I stated with a chuckle.

We continued our conversation, eating lazily, about how the Detective Boys could have possibly come up with the name Detective Boys when there were two girls, until we moved onto a different subject.

ooOOoo

After spending most of the day with Kaito and Aoko – she'd come over sometime after our late lunch –, I had informed Kaito that I'd be spending the night at Akako's house and then had packed some sleeping gear in my bag before heading off to her house at about six o'clock. So, here I was, standing on her creepy porch once more.

"Alice-sama, Akako-sama has been expecting you." The butler told me, stepping to the side humbly with a bow. I eyed him warily before stepping into the house, once again becoming overwhelmed with the familiar smell of incense – I had become kind of accustomed to it, though, so it was not a big problem anymore; though, that didn't make me like the smell any more than I had. My nose crinkled and I didn't wait to be led to the usual living room, instead making my way there on my own.

Once in the living room-esque room, I took a seat in the middle of the couch – away from the creepy, metal, snakes – and plopped my bag at the foot of the couch, leaning back into it. I sat there for but a few seconds before something black and soft jumped up onto me, earning a startled yelp from me, and something wet and rough moved against my cheek multiple times. My eyes finally focus on the black cat on my lap after my brief heart attack and I relaxed, recognizing him.

"Kin-chan, you almost scared me to death….," I murmured against his ear, happy to see my furry friend again as I gathered him closer to my chest as he continued 'grooming' me. He merely purred in response, obviously just as happy to see me as I was to see him. A new voice broke the moment, though.

"He was anxious all day. I was about to turn him into a toad and stuff him in a box if he didn't stop staring out the window with a depressing gaze." Akako sounded amused and I blinked before looking up to see her. She looked just as beautiful as she always did as she walked into the room, moving a piece of hair behind her shoulder in a lofty manner. "I take it you told Kuroba-kun that you would be spending the night here as Alice?"

I flashed her a smirk, nodding absently in reply. "Hm. That way, he won't notice that I'm out late tonight." I said, finally managing to pry Kin off my face and placing him on the couch as I stood up to stretch. I reached down to grab my bag and waved it around playfully, "Thinking of that, I should probably get to The Den. I have to prepare for my heist." Just as I was about to leave the living room, Kin at my heels, I paused as I remembered something.

I glanced over my shoulder to the witch, who was shuffling through something on the side table. "You should come with me, too. When I'm getting ready, you can tell me why something non-canon occurred." My eyes narrowed in interest and she looked up at me with a smirk.

"Very well. Lead the way."

ooOOoo

"So, why did something non-canon happen?" I asked, pulling my arm through the sleeve of the black and white striped shirt. My head popped out of the collar and I took a breath, the loose turtleneck sagging around my neck. The sleeves on the shirt only went down to my elbow, but it was warm enough to keep me warm during the night – which was usually cooler than the daytime – but not so that I would sweat to death due to all the physical activity I'd be doing.

"The problem is your memories." Akako answered from out in the living room. After coming to The Den, I had decided that it'd be best to get changed first and then prepare, so I had gone into the doubling bedroom/safe room and begun to change (as Midori now) while Akako and Kin stayed out in the main room. I blinked, confused, as I pulled a pleated black skirt on over my mismatched – the left black, the right white – leggings. It was comfortable and I adjusted it on my waist as I queried, "My memories?"

"Yes, your memories. You have memories of non-canon events happening in this universe, therefore it causes an anomaly. Anything that left a deep impact on your memories of this world will inevitably happen due to the world shifting to fit your perspective, to fix the anomaly that you caused." Her voice sounded and I grimaced. _Great…._

I paused for a moment, realizing something before smiling a bit nervously to myself. No, no – that wouldn't even be _funny._ _Don't think of it… _

"So, since one movie occurred already, I'm assuming that the other movies will happen, too?" Finally securing the skirt, I grabbed the grey, sleeveless, cotton shirt I'd bought and haphazardly began to put it on over the striped turtleneck I was already wearing. I slid on somewhat easily and sat snugly on my form. "Most likely. It really depends; have you watched all the movies?" Sometimes, I wondered how Akako could so easily talk about movies and episodes and other things of the sorts knowing that her world, in my world, was just a manga and anime. Truthfully, I would have been crept out about it if I had learned that my world was fake.

"Uh, well, I've watched all the movies so far…," I answered honestly, feeling a bit sheepish. Sixteen movies of pure Detective Conan epic-ness were on my list of 'important' Detective Conan memories; they definitely had an 'impact', so to say. I heard Akako snicker from outside the door as I put on the black-and-white belt on – it had a small pouch clipped onto it that was currently empty. "Oh, shut up. This world was…_is_ my favorite anime…_er_, place. It's only natural to watch all the movies." I grumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed.

She only gave a shrill cackle in amusement and I rolled my eyes, deciding to ignore her as I finished getting dressed, fixing the collar of the turtleneck and adjusting the belt so that I could have easy access to the pouch. I glanced over to the white fedora I'd bought – one side was painted black – and over to the two different pairs of boots – same brand and design, but different colors (I'm sure you could guess which colors, too) – before deciding to put them on later.

I stepped out of the safe room, Kin immediately coming to curl up against my leg as I grinned at Akako. I stroked a silly pose, "So, how do I look~?"

"Like an idiot about to go rob a museum." She answered after a moment of surveying me and I pouted, but felt the need to give a small laugh. She took a delicate seat on top of the crates labeled 'EXPLOSIVES' – I didn't question her choice, she knew what she was doing after all, so I trusted her not to accidently blow us up – and I sat Indian style on the floor, beginning to go through the stuff in the room. Kin curled in my lap and I grabbed a can of sleeping gas off the ground, putting it in my pouch.

"About that, Midori…," Akako trailed, "Unlike Kuroba-kun, you're no skilled at hacking. How do you plan to get the blueprints of the building?" She asked curiously and I gave her a smirk. I put a 'one minute' finger up before standing – picking Kin up with me – and going back into the safe room. The room was a lot cleaner than it had been at the start and I walked up to the mahogany desk, picking up a brochure that was on it. My eyes flicked to the whiteboard on the right – it had the details of the heist written on it in a disorderly way and I grabbed a marker to jot down 'In Progress' at the bottom before going back out to Akako.

"This is how I know the blueprints." I said, waving the brochure and tossing it to her. She caught it gracefully and opened it – only to quirk an amused smile as her fiery eyes narrowed in amusement. "…A map in their brochure, featuring every room and detailing where everything is. That's convenient." She commented, closing it and tossing it back to me, where I caught it with a grin. "Very, very, convenient~!" I chirped. It was convenient for customers and thieves alike.

Really, this museum needed some updates on security. "As for the police, there shouldn't be too much – I'm sure they realized it wasn't KID and didn't send the cavalry for an 'average thief'. That's their downfall, since I have some tricks up my sleeve." I chuckled, putting some very tiny stun grenades into the pouch – I'd tried them out and even though they _did_ still create a tiny explosion, it was completely safe; it seemed that it was made out of some weird material that wouldn't cause something to catch on fire or to accidently kill someone.

"Tricks?" She raised a brow and I grinned sharply, reaching over to pull out the secret gadget that I'd had professor Agasa work on earlier. The metal had been painted white and black and I had loop a string around it – with a soundless bell – to resemble the caricature that I'd put on the heist note and so that Agasa wouldn't recognize it.

"See~! Some things are just cool to wave around, to make people nervous~!" I laughed.

Because, after all, I was a terrible shot and I didn't even have any cards to use with the Card Gun to begin with. But, still – the looks on their faces were going to be worth it!

**Review Replies:**

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – M'kay. XD And the heist is next~! 8DDD (Laughs) Thank you! XD I noticed that and it kind of bothered me. XD (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~!**

**To: Iriss-sama – (Laughs) Yeah. XD You know, I had never noticed it before now, actually, which is kind of sad. I guess it just flew right over my head since I wasn't paying such close attention, lol. Haha, yeah, it took 16 chapters for her to finally use the nickname. XDD And it's okay~! ^^ And me, too! That'll be fun to write. XD Thank you~! (Laughs) Another who stays up ungodly late! 8D XD (Gathers Luck and Creates Lucky Card) Thank you, Ri-chan~!**

**To: Guest – Congratulations on finishing your exams~! And it's funny you bring that up – there's actually going to be an original case coming up after the heist. XD I've already come up with the trick and stuff, so it'll be out soon. 8D As for your request time, well…I've been working on Revolver for little over a year (and it's only here… -_- ) and the story goes on pretty long (may reach 100 chapters), and then there's the second story, which will also be pretty long… (Thinks) Probably about two years or so. XD;;; Sorry about that. (Bows) But, then again, it may come out sooner than I think – I've been working pretty adamantly on this story lately, so… (Shrugs) Yeah. I'm not too sure, but hopefully it doesn't take forever. XD **

**-…I'm not too pleased with the outcome of this chapter, but meh… (Shrugs) I hope you still enjoyed it! Next is the heist chapter and then some other things. 8D **

**Omake:**

"**I see…That's why he insisted on taking care of the kids, who would run the slowest." Megure concluded, taking a peek at the kids, who were still having a lot of fun investigating the Gomera arm. I scowled up at Megure, "You guys keep switching, make up your mind!" I flailed my arms, trying to get my point across. **

**Conan wandered from out behind the tiny building, grabbing my arm and dragging me back behind it with him. "Ah, don't mind Koizumi, she has issues with continuity errors…," He trailed in a childish voice before giving me a glare once we were out of sight. **

"**I'm trying to solve a **_**case**_**, Koizumi." He frowned and I stuck my tongue out at him.**

"**Yeah, well," I placed my hands on my hips in a lofty manner, "There's only so much you can solve if there's continuity errors." I huffed. **

**-That error really bugs me. XD Any errors like that kind of bug me, so there will probably be more omakes in the future, if I spot something. XD **

"**Next Revolver Hint: Fahrenheit to Celsius!"**


	38. The Ruspoli Sapphire Crystal Heist (1)

**A/N: This was fun to write~! It's kind of short, but it'll do. XD There's a lot of detail, so beware. XDD And I should be working on Mage&Magician…. (Hides Behind Rock) …but I'll do that tomorrow. (Snickers) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Thirty Eight

I was incredibly frightened – almost to the point that my legs wouldn't move. But, that just wouldn't do. If I didn't move – I _would_ fall, I knew. My hand clutched the black-and-white fedora to my head, annoyed that it would fall if I didn't, and my other hand was wrapped tightly around the mountain climber cord I was currently dangling on. My hand burned underneath the glove, having caught the rope several floors up and only managing to break my fall now. Though, now, I was beginning to think I would have rather fell.

My ankle felt like it was being strangled and I just _knew _that I had broken or sprained something.

My eyes flitted to the ground, several floors down, and I changed my mind. I could deal with the pain, but it would've been _completely stupid_ if I had died on my _first_ heist. Still, this was all _his_ fault (kinda) – _damn brat_…

ooO–_earlier that night_–Ooo

"How will I know if the gem is the right one, Akako-neesan?" I began in mumbled before my voice switched to a cooler, smoother, voice in a mock-comparison to Akako's. "'Oh, don't worry, you'll know exactly which gem it is, trust me'." My face immediately turned sour as I frowned to myself. "What does she even mean by that? Always being so evasive, that witch likes playing with people." I grumbled, looking down at the blueprints of the building in the niche of an alleyway, my heart pounding underneath both of the shirts I was wearing underneath the black cloak I was drowning in.

The building of my heist had forty three floors – the museum covering the first three floors, as the rest were other areas; food courts, stores, and other businesses (the map I had gotten from the museum a bit ago had all the floors on different pages). The building wasn't simple, in fact quite complex, but the security _sucked_. From my spot, I could only see a couple guards and police officers, black-and-white cars parked close by as the sirens flashed silently off to the side. They didn't seem too worried about the note of theft, though.

Which was good – for me.

Thankfully, I knew where guards were and where police officers were stationed due to Akako. It had cost me a bit of magic – again, I didn't know what she wanted it for – but it was worth it. Red dots of waterproof marker were sprinkled on the web-gloss brochure, marking the spots of all the people stationed as guards, and the vent system was charted out in blue while exits were marked with orange. It made me feel a lot securer when I had this with me.

My eyes flitted down to an orange mark behind the crisp, white, mask fitted over my eyes and skimming over the bridge of my nose before stopping at my ears and a thin, black, thread tied it taut to my face. There was no red dot in front of this particular entrance – exit? – and I grinned sharply to myself, my heart restarting at a faster pace than before. Adrenaline was already rushing in my veins, making me break into a cold sweat. Well, here goes nothing…

My gloved hand slipped the now-folded brochure into the pouch on my belt and I let my fingers glide over the objects in it; my eyes narrowed as I located a flash bomb – courtesy of the things I had stolen from KID's lair a while ago. With a decisive breath, I stepped out of the shadows of the alley and swung my arm around, releasing the small device in the opposite direction. It arched in the air – a baseball pitch – before it hit another alley to the left of mine. I looked away quickly as light exploded, brightening dark spots and gaining the guards attention quickly – I'm sure I heard a 'what the – an explosion?' and I stifled a laugh.

My mismatched boots were silent against the ground as I dashed to the opposite side of the building, immediately squeezing between the tiny gap between the heist building and an adjacent one, arms up at my side as I slid through. Here, I was safe from the guards eyes and they hadn't stationed anyone here, either, due to the space being so small – plus, no one would be able to get here without passing the front, which would have caught the guards attention. _Would_ have – they had been thoroughly distracted by the flash bomb though.

The cold wind flowed between the buildings, chilling me slightly as I reached the door – it was an emergency exit that apparently had been somewhat 'abandoned'. Dust spiraled in the air as I brushed my black gloved against the dirty surface and cobwebs fell to the ground – I twitched as I watched a spider make a getaway from his home wrecker – and I steadied my breath before pushing it opened. Except, it didn't move.

Blinking in confusion, ignoring the sounds of the guards returning to their posts with some grumbles, I shoved harder at the door, willing it to open. The door stayed firmly shut. This could _not_ be happening…

My mind flashed through different ideas before I finally landed on the most reasonable – the door probably opened outward with a crash bar or was locked. But, anyone _stupid_ enough to lock an _emergency exit_ probably wouldn't have checked this one, being careless, since the space between the buildings kills the fact that it's supposed to open _outwards_. It would probably only open a crack, at best. I clicked my tongue in annoyance, mouth twisting downwards in a thoughtful frown.

Trying to force it to open backwards would take all night, but there wasn't really anything I could do – it was the only thing to do, even if it was somewhat nuts. _Then again_… My mouth quirked up in an ironic smile, _this whole plan was nuts_.

I pressed my back against the brick wall of the other building and lifted one leg to brace my foot against the cool metal of the door. I quickly lifted the other and _pushed_. My neck pressed painfully – at an awkward angle – into the brick wall, but I pushed harder, willing the door to give in; if it was abandoned, it should be somewhat worn out without proper care. I braced my hands on the wall near my head, palms flat against the surface before giving my all to kick in the door.

My arms thrust outward and I straightened my legs – the muscles pulling and protesting at the rough treatment as I forced myself to keep my knees straight – and then I was falling forwards as my foothold gave in (my arms still thrusting outwards), the old, rusted, hinges creaking as the door twisted strangely before falling to the ground with a loud thud, stirring up dust. I landed on top of it, standing, and I blinked before grinning in accomplishment.

My accomplishment was short-lived, however, as a loud, piercing, alarm suddenly rang out – slightly delayed due to my less than normal entrance. I tensed before breaking into a run, steps silent as I skidded around the corner. I immediately took out the map to get a good look at it, flipping to the first floor layout. Unfamiliar running came from my left, the hall filled with paintings glowing dimly in the distance as flashlights neared – without much choice, I turned heel and darted down the hallway to the right.

My eyes had long adjusted to the darkness, so I was able to see the marks on the web gloss page and I scanned the layout hurriedly, hearing footsteps closing in from behind. Down the hall I was running – filled with paintings I didn't spare a second glance –, blue marks began on the page a little ways down, signaling that a vent was just up ahead. I unclipped the cloak I was wearing and rolled it up in a jumbled ball before stuffing it into my skirt's zip-up pocket. My eyes then darted up to the ceilings and I skidded to a stop – sliding a bit; perhaps gluing fleece to the bottom my boots was a bad idea, after all – and swapped the map for a tiny adjustable screwdriver from my pouch (really, if I didn't know better, The Den had been occupied by a criminal before; a lot of the things I was using now were from there).

I stood on my tip-toes and quickly undid all four screws with the drill-like tool and took off the cover, gripping it tightly as I grabbed the edge of the entrance. With a frantic, scrambling, hop I vaulted myself inside the large vent, turning to put cover back over it. With a click, it slid easily back into place and I army crawled (more like slid to keep even weight on all parts) further in as the light grew brighter and I could eventually hear people talking right in front of the vent, the sounds rebounding in the small, metal, space I was in.

"They disappeared!" One officer exclaimed, sounding frustrated. Someone clicked their tongue in annoyance, "How did they even get inside?! That door opens outwards!"

My grin had leveled to the Cheshire cat grin and I ignored my heart pounding loudly through my ears – absently, I wondered if anyone could hear it; it felt like it was going to burst. Despite feeling chilly in the cold air return ventilation shaft, I wiped sweat from my forehead as I moved forward, visualizing the map in my head as I headed for the point where the shaft would go upwards to converge with the second floor system. The gem was on the third floor and from there, I would make my way up before deciding a safe place to scale down the wall. Mountain climber's cable was looped around my belt, looking much like a very, very, long lasso.

My ears rung painfully in the vent as the alarm – _still _going off – echoed in it louder than before. Sensitive ears, darn it! With some effort and more sweat, I finally reached the upwards vent and I laid there for a moment to recollect myself; breathing harsh in the small spot. Come on, come on, I willed myself as I closed my eyes tightly – don't get claustrophobic _now_, idiot! You can freak out _after_ you get back to The Den! There was a minute of shrilling silence before I pulled myself back together, wiping more sweat from under my chin, before turning onto my back and carefully sliding forward.

My back connected with the end of the vent and I was forced into a sitting position and I connected my boots with the other side and I carefully inched my way up and up. The vent was tall and I couldn't exactly tell when it ended due to the darkness, but I knew that I'd _eventually_ make it to the second floor; or, if I was lucky, this would also lead up to the third floor and I could speed up this whole trip.

The crunched up position made my legs ache slightly and my back curl into myself awkwardly – making me feel oddly like the Grinch as he had when he'd gone down the chimney – and the whole event was overall unpleasant. I had almost slipped on several occasions due to the fleece – sure, it helped quiet footfalls, but I really hadn't thought of this well enough – but I was finally here after about ten minutes of climbing. By now, I was panting and I practically collapsed in the third floor ventilation shaft when I reached it – the upwards shaft _had _gone up to the third floor, after all.

With a heaved breath, I straightened out and army crawled further in before I finally reached another opening. I peeked out of it, seeing a few officers standing around the spacious room. Podiums were standing around the room, all having a small gemstones hidden in, what I'm assuming was, bulletproof glass. My eyes immediately spotted the exhibit I was targeting – a banner above it proclaiming its existence loudly. There were no officers too close to it, so I'm guessing that they didn't decode my note. I chuckled thinly.

I looked around the room for a minute, gathering my wits, before I finally slid a small stun grenade out of my pouch and turning so that my feet faced the opening for quick exit. Sucking in a deep, calming, breath, I began.

My feet kicked out the vent cover, screws scattering around the floor loudly, and all hell broke loose. Officers immediately look towards the disturbance and I slid out quickly, flicking my bangs out of my eyes in annoyance and offering the officers a large grin. They looked unnerved before advancing forward in runs and I swore my heart stopped for a moment in panic. Then I was running forward, startling the officer there, and I brought the grenade to my mouth to pull the pin out with my teeth and then I hurled it behind me.

I didn't look behind me and ducked up an officer's grabbing arm and plugged my ears as I continued running forwards. There was a flash from behind me, lighting up the already lit room for a second and I could dimly hear a small explosion occur but I ignored it, knowing that the stun grenade had gone off – leaving the officers blinded for 5 seconds and disoriented and off-balance. I uncovered my ears and reached the podium, knocking on the glass in testing.

Unexpectedly, it wasn't bulletproof glass, instead just regular glass casing. The security here, I mused with an amused grin. Not wasting any time, I checked around the case quickly before deciding to just break the glass the easier way. I backed up a bit – chuckling madly when I heard people groan behind me and someone fall to the floor with a thud – and then judged the distance before pivoting and hitting the glass powerfully with a kick. It wasn't so much my karate skills as much as it was my soccer muscles; even though I'd quit, I'd gotten quite a lot from it in the time I had been doing it.

The glass crashed loudly and scattered around the floor and I stepped forward again, glass crunching underfoot, as another alarm – louder this time; my ears… – rang out. The oddly shaped gem was immediately in my grasp with a quick snatch – almost as big as my palm – and then I was dashing out of the room, the officers stumbling after slowly. I fetched out the map and flipped three pages inwards and scanned it, turning sharply to head to the staircase nearby.

By now, I had lost the officers on the third floor and there weren't any officers as I continued my journey up the stairs – they probably thought that a thief wouldn't escape from the top, or had been overly confident that they wouldn't even let me get inside the building. Oh, how _wrong_ they'd been to not guard that one emergency exit…

I glanced down to the gem in the dim lighting as I continued up; the shape was sharp and awkward to hold in my palm and the color wasn't baby blue like I'd thought before, but appeared to be a greyish blue, but maybe it was just the perspective you looked at it from. I gently wrapped it in a handkerchief and placed it in another of my skirt's pockets, zipping it up tightly to make sure it wouldn't fall out. Several floors below, I could hear officers clambering up the stairs, trying to catch up, but I had endurance on my side. As long as I didn't give up, I'd be fine.

Hopefully.

I discarded the thoughts, continuing my dead sprint up the stairs, blinking painfully as the lights suddenly came on, flooding my senses – I was on floor fifteen by now and counting (sixteen, seventeen, eighteen…) and I had long stopped hearing the police below. I blinked several times consecutively and quickly adjusted and saved myself from a stumble by pushing off the railing. Once I reached the twenty-first floor, I slowed and turned into the floor, flipping pages of the map to get to my current location.

My footsteps were heavy with tiredness, but I continued striding on, knowing that the cops probably would use the elevators to get up to my floor – though, they'd have to check all the floors, not knowing exactly where I was at the moment. Though, it'd be pretty easy once they check the security room, but I brushed off the disturbing thought that I was being watched by cameras and, possibly, officers. I couldn't stop grinning, though – the thrill of this whole thing was _amazing_!

The floor I was on was a business floor, cubicles littered around the room and sleeping computers all around on personal desks. It was obviously the type of job that I had vowed to avoid in the future; the kind where you do the same thing every single day, over and over and over again. Looking around, I realized that there were no security cameras in this place, anyways. With another sigh at the careless security of this place, I chuckled. I really had chosen a good place to do my first heist.

I let out a slight sigh of relief as I headed to a window at the back of the building, glad I'd be going home soon. I unclipped the cord on my belt and pried open the window, not caring that I was kinda-sorta damaging it as it creaked in protest at my rough handling. Cold wind brushed against my face, drying my sweat and I breathed it in, appreciating it for a moment. My grin lessened to a content smile and I looked around for a place to tie the cord, humming absently to myself.

Find no place, I shrugged before opening the window next to the one I was going to make my descent from and securing the cord tightly around the junction between the two windows. I pulled on it, making sure it was taut, and just as I was about to clip my belt to the cord, a voice ran out from behind me, making me freeze in place as blood drained from my face.

"Leaving so fast, Jester-san?" The voice was very familiar, with an edging of cockiness and mocking lilt. _Don't tell me_…

Heart in my throat, I turned sharply and low-and-behold, as expected, Conan was there, looking casual in the face of a criminal, hands shoved in his pockets as he walked a bit closer cautiously. Before I could help it, my words flew off my lips on instinct as I gave him an ironic grin – it figures he'd be here. "Oh, so you've figured out my code, I see~!" I cooed, holding back the Osakan-ben that wanted to slip off my tongue with some effort. I gave him a playful applaud.

He smirked sharply and I barely contained a shiver. That hunter's look was so damn _creepy_! I turned to face him fully and I put my hands up at my sides in mock-surrender. "You win, meitantei-kun~! I give, I give." Not really, but he already knew that by the look bemused look on his face as he peered at me from his height, judging me behind his cerulean eyes framed by oversized glasses. I felt like I was being scrutinized like a bug under a microscope and I gazed at him behind my mask in slight panic.

Why, oh why, did Edogawa Conan – of _all _people – show up at my heist?!

…Was my luck just that _bad_?

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – Yay~! I'm glad you like new chapters~! 8D (Laughs) Yeah. XDDD Ayumi and the others are always very amusing when they interrupt Conan's deductions with their innocent questions. XD And he is, isn't he? XD It'll just escalate from here, too~! (Evil Laughter) He totally would send her to a mental hospital! XDDDDDDDD And yeah. XD Yay – I'm not the only one like that! 8D (High Fives) And yeah, I knew that. ^^ When I first saw it, I was like – oh my gosh! XDD It's pretty cool when you find things like that. XD And yup – the heist! 8DDDDD And thank you for the extra luck~! I finally got my inspiration back after a few days dwaddling and really doing nothing except listen to Pendulum's music. XD And that's okay – I like long reviews, they're fun to read! o^^o Thank you, Ri-chan~! (Gathers Lots Of Luck and Creates A Giant Lucky Castle) :D **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – (Laughs) I was hungry when I was writing that, so I was like, "wow, this is a long deduction, I'm hungry". XDDD I kept getting a bit annoyed with Megure, since he kept asking unnecessary questions instead of just listening to the whole deduction. XD And I've been eating grilled cheese a lot, so that's where that came from. XD And yes! THE HEIST~! 8DDDD E-chan! (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) *blinks as you slump again and rushes over* E-chan! (XD) **

**-Whoo, this was fun to write! 8D I felt like I did a bit too many details, but meh. I kind of wanted a two part heist, too, so I'm splitting it. XD Next up is the deduction and other stuff! 8D **

**Heist target: (www dot) ( famousdiamonds).(tripod )(dot com) /ruspolisapphire (Remove parentheses and add dots) **

"**Next Revolver Hint: Marius Scotus!"**


	39. The Ruspoli Sapphire Crystal Heist (2)

**A/N: Mage&Magician? What Mage&Magician? –shot– … –revives– Anyways, there's changes in the point of view in this one, for forewarning! ^^ Enjoy? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form.**

Chapter Thirty Nine

There was a silence as the both of us regard each other quietly. And before I knew it, I couldn't contain it anymore. A loud, long, laugh escaped my lips and I curled over slightly, clutching my sides as mirth took over my actions. Conan took a surprised step back, a bead of sweat running down his cheek. His expression just made me laugh even _more_. It was just – it was just – this was just too _much_!

"_Ahaha_–I'm _sorry_, meitantei-kun–it's just that–_hahaha_–this is too–_haha_–amusing–_haahha_–and your–your–_hahahaaa_–_face_!" He interpreted the garbled laughter and words mixed together and took another step back. Finally, he managed a wary smirk as I continued laughing. I just couldn't stop and I could feel my face go red as I struggled to gather my breath – obviously, it wasn't working too well, as I was still laughing. "You're obviously a new criminal that others haven't heard about, but now I see why you decided to be a thief, Jester."

I lifted my eyes to his form as I stifled my laughter to tiny chuckles. "A-And what would–_hahaha_–that be, meitantei-kun?"

"You're insane." He pointed out in a dry tone, deadpanning at me.

I blinked at him in surprise before letting out another laugh – and now that I thought about it, that _probably_ didn't help his view on me at all. It sounded pretty manic, too, now that I listen to it. Oh well. I pushed the thoughts out of my mind and once again stifled my laugh, flashing him a grin and leaning back to rest on the window pane. His eyes sharpened as he searched for signs of moving, but I just sat there. I was a bit tired and right now was the perfect time to refresh and also…

"I'll let you believe that, meitantei-kun. Or can I call you chibi-chan? I think that'd be much cuter and you're just the most _adorable_ little boy I've _ever_ seen. The glasses suit you~!" I complimented, ignoring his scowl, "I'm curious, though. How'd you manage to get into this building? All the other places were guarded and no matter how smart you are, they wouldn't let a child in with an unknown 'black'." I chuckled in interest, raising a brow beneath my bangs. His scowl faded to melt into a sharp smirk and I felt a bead of cold sweat run down my cheek.

"I waited outside the building and then I followed you inside when you broke through the emergency door. The police were too occupied with you that they didn't notice me slip inside." My eyes glanced down to his feet, noting that the power shoes were still – thankfully – turned off, but that also made me notice that his hands were 'casually' placed behind his back. Seems like he was doing the same thing to me that he'd do to KID next month.

"Oh~! That's pretty sneaky for a detective. Then again, you're pint-sized, so I guess you can slip past people easier than most…," I trailed, my grin growing a fraction as he once again gained a scowl from my blatant teasing of his height. He decided that we'd had enough idle chatting, though, and was once again smirking up at me, stepping forward a bit. I shrunk against the pane nervously. Damn it! Why was Shinichi so _creepy_? So, as a last ditch resort, I sprung up another curious question. "How'd you know I was going to come up to the twenty-first floor, chibi-chan?"

He ignored my taunt, ever cool. Instead, he obliged my question, with a cocky curl to his lip that made my brow twitch indignantly. "_'Krustallos and sapphire drop into baby blue tears that fall from Marius Scotus'_ eyes'," He quoted directly from the heist note and I sighed internally. Of course he was going to strip it down with his weird memory skills. Even _I_ couldn't remember the _whole_ heist note off the back of my head and I was the one who _wrote_ it!

"That line tells your targeted object clearly. The word krustallos is the Greek word that the English word crystal derived from and sapphire explains itself. I'm guessing you believed that the color of the gem was baby blue, which is referring to the colored 'tear' you mentioned. Marius Scotus was a Scottish paladin of Charlemagne who helped the Franks defeat the Longobards and established the Italian Marescotti-Ruspoli family. In whole, you were hinting at the Ruspoli Sapphire Crystal that would be here for this weekend exclusively before it's transferred back to its museum in Paris."

I swallowed thickly before gestured for his to continue with a careless wave of my hand. How he could come up with this information from the top of his head was beyond me. His brain was a scary thing, indeed. By now, his hands were shoved into his pockets and he looked slightly more at ease than before. "After that, you state in your heist note that '_cameo bracelets sing songs of Saturn mournfully'_. This refers to the day of the heist. Some cameo bracelets have the Greek gods or goddesses as the planets to represent the days of the week. Saturn is Saturday. You probably just added 'mournfully' to sound fancy." He chuckled a bit dryly and I bit my tongue to resist the retort I _so_ wanted to say.

But, I resisted.

Just _barely_ – but I did.

He went on and my eyes flickered upwards in silent exasperation and embarrassment. With him, it felt like my code had been child's play. "The line '_to the tune of the song, panda's do workouts – 16 pushups and 7 crunches_' is again referring to Saturday while saying that the police – the 'pandas' – will be working themselves out thoroughly on that day, at eleven o'clock PM. If you add sixteen and seven, you get twenty-three, which simplified in time is eleven." I shifted slightly, bracelet bell jingling, and his eyes sharpened once more, but he continued with that demeaning smirk. That little _brat_…

I knew I could simply leave through the window now, but he'd probably dart me as I turned around to flee. My teeth worried at my lip gently as I let him deduct the whole note, my mind whizzing behind my eyes. "_'An unexpected 'swoop' and the tears will be 'gone''_ is hinting that you're a new thief in town – hence unexpected – and then you'll steal the gem. You put swoop in quotes because you never intended to swoop from the ceiling or anything, but just intended to take it, most likely. I'm not exactly sure why you put gone in quotes, though…," His cerulean eyes narrowed suspiciously and I grinned nervously back, chuckling a bit as I shrugged.

Like _heck_ was I going to tell _him_ – of all people – that I put gone in quotes because it most likely wasn't what I was looking for!

"Isn't it your job to figure that out, chibi-chan, so I can't exactly tell you now, can I~?" I cooed, "Continue please, I find this incredibly fascinating~!" Seeing I wasn't planning on making a getaway just yet, he hesitated before going on.

"Then '_swept into an ocean of 'black' in your monochrome world_' is quite easy to interpret now that I've met you." His eyes skidded over my black-and-white clad form with an inquisitive eye – probably thinking it was tacky, like he'd think with KID's later – before he looked up and locked eyes with me – irritated brown meeting intelligent blue; his eyes were so deep that I felt like I was being slowly submerged in an ocean that would drown me. Suffocating, to say the least. His gaze was too intense, but I _refused_ to back down. Can't have him getting the better of me!

"Earlier, you referred to yourself as an 'unknown black'. I'm guessing 'black' is your way of saying criminal and you say '_in your monochrome world_' because you believe the police to have only a black-and-white view on things. Therefore, you're basically saying they see all criminals as 'black' and see themselves as 'white'. But, due to you putting black in quotes, you must not think you're in the wrong." The look on his face at the moment was _extremely unnerving_…

"If you're not 'black', Jester-san, what exactly are you?" Conan questioned with that same daring smirk.

I looked to the ceiling in fake thought, humming to myself, before I shrugged and looked back at him with a grin I purposely made look demented. I held back a laugh as I watched his eyes widen just the _slightest_. I raised my hands to him, as if welcoming him into my arms. "Well, what do you _think_ I am, chibi-chan~?"

"A criminal who doesn't know right from wrong." He stated bluntly and I flinched, bringing a hand up to clutch my heart dramatically. "Ouch~! That's rude~!" I laughed, feeling incredibly amused. It was too hard _not_ to, especially when your favorite anime character tells you you're a criminal with no sense, basically. My brows furred the slightest as I thought that over.

This situation sounds completely nuts…

"But, you still haven't finished~!" I crowed happily, subsiding my laughter. Internally, I frowned. This was bad – his deductions wouldn't last too much longer and I needed a distraction. Like, super quickly. He rolled his eyes at my somewhat childish display, looking extremely bemused, but complied either way. "_'Sincerely, 37.4 F, the 333-9._' The parting line refers to an English poem called The Jester. 37.4 F is 37.4 degrees Fahrenheit, which converts to 3 degrees Celsius. The Jester mentions three degrees three times. 333-9 states all three degrees which equals nine all together. Basically, you're saying you equal each three degrees: The Jester. It's a fairly simple code when you think about it."

My lips twitched as I willed away a frown as he went on, "You're smart, Jester-san, I'll give you that, but that code should require a hint to solve."

I felt a little bit elated to have him call me smart, but I could sense a 'but' coming up; I raised my brow in question. My eyes caught sight of an incoming distraction, though, moving up to the floor Conan and I were on. The lights inched up the numbers on the elevator and I stiffened to get ready; they should be arriving here soon-ish. The diminutive detective didn't notice, as his back was turned towards it. "Your note indicates that you're absentminded." Was he calling me _slow_?! Then again, I couldn't really argue. I _am_ absentminded…

His lips parted just a bit, flashing white teeth as his smirk widened and his eyes narrowed dangerously, "That's your downfall."

_The brat! _

With no time to spare though, I gave him a Cheshire grin as the elevator dinged at the police's arrival and as he was taken aback, looking over his shoulder, I darted forward determinedly. His panicked eyes turned to me as I grabbed both of his forearms and yanked them apart from behind his back and pulling him into a sorta-hug – it was more like smothering him with my chest. Ignoring his muffled protests, I took another stun grenade from my pocket and pulled the pin before chucking it at the approaching officers as they ran out of the elevator.

As expected, they scrambled away and I hurriedly unclipped Conan's watch as he flailed before I dropped him unceremoniously, closing my eyes and plugging my ears. A flash illuminated my eyelids red and a dim explosion met my ears before I was in action again, heart pounding against my ribcage. Conan, the closest to me, was blinking painfully – blindly – and stumbled as he tried to get up, his eyes zoning on his watch dangling from my mocking grip above his reach as he finally got his vision back.

He knew he was defenseless now, as he was too disoriented to kick, as well. My eyes swept the premises, downed officers easy to spot despite the numerous desks and cubicles. Seeing no immediate threat, I walked up and crouched in front of Conan, who was glaring warily.

My hands slipped into my pouch, grasping a familiar cool can of sleeping gas. On impulse and the innate need to annoy the Heisei Holmes, I grinned in his face – which seemed to unnerve him as he struggled to move – before darting forward and pecking him on the cheek. He flinched back, looking startled and somewhat disturbed, as I smirked predatorily and whispered in his ears, "Thanks for the date, chibi-chan~!" Then, with a sinister snicker, he lost consciousness, slumping to the floor, as I spritzed him with a generous amount of sleeping gas.

I positioned him more comfortably before darting back to the window as the police finally began making their way towards me again and I hastily clipped my belt to the cord before literally throwing myself out of the window after vaulting over the edge. It was only as the cold air hit my face that I realized I had just freakin' _vaulted out a window_. My heart leapt into my throat and I twisted midair, grabbing the rope.

Well, _would've_ grabbed it.

I couldn't reach it.

My eyes widened and I watch in horror as windows passed me by – floor twenty, nineteen, eighteen… - but my grin wouldn't leave my face, frozen as it was. The police officers crowded around the window in the twenty-first floor and they also looked completely horrified by my falling, then they were gone, most likely on their way down. I vaguely saw someone pick Conan up – still sleeping – with a confused face. Everything else was a blur and finally, after reaching the sixteenth floor, my hand caught the rope tightly, the other coming up to clutch my hat as it threatened to fall off.

My arm jerked upwards painfully and I swear I felt my shoulder dislocate for a second before popping back in – shit, that _hurts_! – and I spun out of control, my hand burning under my glove as I continued to slow my fall while holding the cable. Rope burn was never fun to get, I decided absently, wincing as the ground came closer. I had lost count of how many floors I had fallen and I couldn't tell which way I was facing as the world blurred.

Suddenly, everything came to a stop with a rough jerk and a loud _crack _pierced the air. A strangled yelp left my lips and tears pricked in my eyes as I looked up. My left leg was tied up above me, coiled tightly as the mountain climber's cable wrapped around my ankle painfully. I let out a broken laugh, breathless. "Oh my god… I'm not dead…haha…_haa_…," My tone sounded a bit hysterical and I swallowed back my frightened chuckles as to not lose it.

Fear spread from my stomach like acid and I just dangled there for a moment to comprehend what to do, one hand still clutching my hat to my head in annoyance. It was all I could do to regulate my breathing from erratic to normal so that I didn't pass out from hyperventilation. That would be lame – like, _really_ lame. After a moment of debating, I realized that if I didn't move – no matter how _painful_ it would be to move – I had to move, otherwise I'd fall eventually. My grip was already loosening tiredly.

I bit my lip – pushing away the irritated thoughts of rather falling than being in this much pain – and I lifted my torso, untangling my foot with the hand that had been holding my hat. Thankfully, due to my sitting position, it wasn't falling off yet. I sucked in a breath before completely untangling my ankle and as suspected, my body swung downwards and my good foot crashed against the side of the brick building as I began rappelling downwards slightly too quick.

After what seemed like forever, I finally reached the floor and fell backwards with a stumble, landing with a thud on my back. Laying there a second to catch my breath and slow my speeding heart, I breathed in the cold air of the night, feeling oddly calm for someone who had almost died. It was odd when you looked back on something like that – unbelievable almost. With rolled my eyes behind my mask, standing up slowly and making sure all the weight was put mostly on my left leg and I scurried away into the nearby street, dodging the frantic police heading for the opposite direction by ducking into a nearby alleyway.

Unzipping one of my skirt's pockets, I hurriedly put the black cloak back on and headed on my way back to The Den – but, I'd probably take a detour to Akako's house first. My ankle was killing me with every step I took. It probably didn't help any that I was running.

ooOOoo

The snow was something he liked, he decided. He couldn't recall where he had intended to go, but he was walking in the general direction of his target; at least, that's what it felt like. No, he knew he was headed in the right direction. He sauntered into a dark alley, the night already pitch black, the only light provided by the moon and surrounding city lights.

A figure scurried past him, tense and wary of his presence, but also ignoring him. He chuckled deeply, a sound that had the cloaked figure hurrying to reach the mouth of the alley before the person turned the corner and disappeared. He frowned as he noticed the slight limp the figure had while running before smirking to himself, a dangerous expression as he realized who it was, pulling off his sunglasses to look at the sky directly.

"What an interesting show."

ooOOoo

Akako looked up as someone hobbled in, clad in a conspicuous – yet somehow inconspicuous – black and white outfit. She blinked in bemusement as the figure waddled over, limping, before finally dropping down onto the couch. A towel was wrapped around her shoulders and she was shivering, wincing every now and then as something pulled. Akako absently thought it was good that her butler had given the dimensional-crosser a towel, otherwise her couch would be soaking wet by now, too.

She smirked at her companion, crossing her arms with an almost scolding huff. "When I said 'break a leg' earlier, I didn't mean it literally." She was ignored, but she could see the embarrassed blush – or was that because she was cold? – dance on the other's cheeks, halfway covered by the white mask underneath the brim of the hat. Said hat was pulled off a moment later, revealing shaggy, short hair, looking black with the moisture.

"You look like you got hit by a bus," She mused, still scanning her visitor, "and then thrown into a lake to drown." Was that what she thought it was on the hat? She held back a cackle when she realized that, yes, yes, it was.

"Feels like it, too…," Midori finally croaked, throat sore. She gave a sniff and hoped she wasn't getting sick. Despite her statement sounding pained and regretful, Akako could see the edges of the girl's mouth pull up a bit in an amused smile. "And can you clean this? Some birds thought it'd be funny to use it for target practice when I was resting underneath a tree." Midori grumbled, looking mournfully down at her fedora, which had a black-and-white splat on the top, as if to mocking match the colors of her choice.

With a smirk, Akako nodded and her demon butler took the hat from the teen, who gave him a grateful, weary, smile.

The mask was off next, followed by soaked gloves, boots, and gadget belt – they were all disposed quite carelessly onto the velvety carpets of the living room. Once the boots had been removed, Midori took the sock on her left foot off, revealing a swelling, purple and black and red ankle that looked horrible. "You walked all the way here with _that_?" Akako asked, incredulous for once. She waved her hand at her butler standing at the door and on command he left to go find the first aid kit.

"Of course I did." Midori rolled her eyes good naturedly, chuckling a bit before wincing as her ribs and back strained with the movement.

Akako rolled her eyes and took the kit from the butler as he returned with the needed materials. She leaned on her knees, beginning to access the damage on the girl's ankle – it seemed like a bad sprain. With a sigh, the older began to wrap the other with the gauze she'd just taken from the red box of medical equipment. "So, other than this, how did it go?"

Midori grinned brightly, an expression that made her look younger than she actually was as her eyes lit. "Oh, the heist itself was really fun~! Of course, it was nerve-wracking, but that was the best part! It went wonderfully until a certain chibi came along, but I handled him fairly well. The heist actually ended at twelve, so…," She trailed sheepishly, avoiding bemused red eyes.

"You do realize it's already two o'clock, right? What were you doing on your way here? Wrestling with boars?" The witch regarded her guest's wet visage, "Or, better yet, whales?"

The brown-haired girl pouted lightly, deadpanning. "W-Well, it was the part getting back that was the hard thing… There were police everywhere and it was dark and my ankle hurt and, yeah… To end it shortly, I ended up hiding into someone's backyard, but I hadn't noticed the 'beware of the dog' sign," The girl shuttered, as if remembering something thoroughly unpleasant. "And then I didn't notice a koi pond and then when the police found me once, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and ran into a rose bush."

The trans-dimensional teen took a small thorn from her sleeve with a frown, wincing slightly. "A _thorny _rose bush."

Akako finished wrapping Midori's ankle and stood up, going to the hearth to gather materials as the new thief continued, "And there was a creepy man in the alleyway that laughed at me, but thankfully, he didn't do anything. Oh! Can't forget when I had to hide up in a tree and then accidently fell forwards. My ribs are killing me." Despite that, she chuckled, amused by her misfortune.

"Did you at least get your target?" Akako questioned, tone just as amused as Midori looked and sounded.

With a zip, Midori put one glove back on and took the gem out of her pocket, showing it off, the strange form glinting in the light from the fireplace, orange making it appear baby blue like in the photos. "Yup~! This thing was worth the trouble – look how pretty it is~!" She cooed before a large yawn interrupted her. Akako looked back to Midori as the girl rubbed her eyes. "You can get changed and then go to sleep. You've had a long night." Akako paused before wondering curiously, "Are you going to keep it, even though it's not the one you're looking for?" There was no judgment in her voice, just mere curiosity.

Midori flashed her a grin that made her butler take a step closer to the door, as if feeling the need to run away. "I think I'll keep it for now~! They won't miss it." She laughed, placing it back into her pocket before standing precariously and making her way out to a guest room – the only other room she knew how to get to at the moment.

Akako stared after for a moment before gesturing her butler closer. "Tell me when she's asleep. Kuroba-kun will not be pleased if she comes back to him with such injuries." The demon nodded before swiftly taking off down the hall Midori disappeared down.

The red-haired witch sighed to herself, gathering materials for a strong healing potion. Really, her not-sister could be so troublesome sometimes.

**Review Replies:**

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Yay~! Welcome back to the land of the living, E-chan~! 8DDD And I know, right~? The jewel is so pretty~! X3 lol, yup, it's originally displayed in Paris. XDDD But, earlier it was mentioned that that jewel would be at that certain museum for that weekend exclusively before being transferred back to Paris. XD I think it was in the movie special… (Thinks) (Shrugs) I dunno. XD It's in there somewhere, lol. Yeah. XD Conan is always so troublesome. XDD Here's the next part~! (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! ^^ **

**-Well, I hope that wasn't too horribly disappointing. XD I feel like I could've made it better, but I just didn't know how. It's probably because this is technically the second time I'm writing this heist and so I was like – erk. What? XDDDDD Oh well. The next one should be more exciting, if this one was disappointing. XD Next, we have another case! However, it's not how it seems… (Smirks)**

"**Next Revolver Hint: Wedding Ring!"**


	40. Chapter 40 (Case Prelude)

**A/N: So, while I was writing this, I was listening to Top Secret by SNSD (Girl's Generation) and when I heard the line, "Oh no - if you fearlessly try to know it all, you'll get hurt. Top, top, top secret!" I couldn't help but imagine Alice/Midori singing it to Conan... XDDD;; Oh, brain, why you so strange? Also, "Strange World" by Jessie Payo is probably a sort-of non-"official" theme for this, too. (Laughs) Either way, chapter fourty and something special! I hope it doesn't suck too badly. XD Enjoy? ^^ (Wow, look how far we'd made it….)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama.**

Chapter Forty

I woke up feeling refreshed and surprisingly not in pain. I brushed off the thought, though, smiling down at Kin, who was curled up against my neck. Apparently, he'd commuted in here sometime after I fell asleep. Which is kind off surprising; usually he'd have attacked me after I got into the house. Maybe he'd been doing something? I blinked up at the ceiling, ridding my eyes of sleep and stretching slightly, feeling accomplished. Glancing over to the side table of the guest room, I spotted yesterday's heist jewel. I grinned brightly before shaking off the thoughts and sitting up carefully, cradling Kin close as he shifted a bit.

With a yawn, I stood carefully, testing out my ankle. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it didn't hurt much – in fact, it was barely a passing pain, but I was used to such things. It wouldn't bother me much – easily ignored like a paper cut. A bit bemused, I smirked. It probably had something to do with Akako.

Glancing out the window, the sky reflected back at me, clouds drifting lazily in the azure. A nice day, indeed, I mused – despite that, I frowned a bit in thought before shrugging it off. Decidedly, I grabbed my phone from the side table and walked out of the room, heading to the kitchen. Truthfully, I still wasn't exactly sure _where_ the kitchen was, but I was following my nose, the smell of bacon and eggs filling the usually incense-smelling halls. After wandering around several – maze-like – halls, I ended up in the kitchen.

Akako was sitting at the table, sipping at – what appeared to be – tea and her creepy butler was once again cooking. I walked in, taking a seat at the spacious table and seating Kin on my lap – he looked about ready to wake up, but didn't want to. I know that feeling all too well. "Morning~!" I chirped happily, getting a smirk in return and nod before the witch went back to sipping at her tea. Shrugging, I went to eating my bacon and eggs as the butler placed a large plate in front of me. Once again, I noted Akako wasn't eating anything, but I brushed it off. By the looks of it, she'd probably eaten earlier, since the butler was immediately setting to work on cleaning a dirty dish in the sink.

I ate in silence, assessing last night's situation.

…I had _seriously_ stolen something. It was bit disconcerting, actually. Truthfully, I had been a bit worried about actually having the guts to steal something and it was kind of hitting me full force now that I'd gone through with such a demented plan. Chuckling as I finished my breakfast, I decided that perhaps Conan wasn't too wrong about his accusation yesterday. I probably was a little bit insane. But! If _I_ was insane, so was _he_! He'd deny it, but I _know_ it's the truth.

I blinked out of my internal thoughts as my phone rang, the Mission Impossible theme echoing out in the silent kitchen. I had set specific ringtones for everyone – all of the Detective Boys ringtones were the Mission Impossible theme, Kaito's was the Pink Panther's, Erise's was the James Bond theme (don't ask…), and Akako's was the Ghostbuster's song; Conan's was the first ringtone Akako had given me and I still had yet to customize Heiji's and Agasa's– and I glanced at the flashing screen.

'Mitsuhiko' was written, flashing boldly, and I blinked. It was the first time he'd called me directly – truthfully, I think he was a bit shy around me. Probably because I acted kind of strangely, I deduced with an amused smirk. Looking down at my body to make sure I'd actually remembered to change back to Alice – thankfully, I had – and then I answered the phone, bringing it to my ear.

"Yo!" I answered, laughing under my breath as I got a sputtered reply. "_A-Ah, Koizumi-san..? I-It's Mitsuhiko._" I smiled, "Ah, Tsuburaya-kun! It's nice to hear you finally call. What's up?" Akako glanced at me as she finished her tea before giving me a smirk – one that sent an unpleasant shiver down my spine – and getting up, disappearing out of the kitchen. I flashed a small smile of thanks to the butler before standing as well, walking aimlessly through the halls.

"_U-Uh, n-nothing really. I-I just was w-wondering if you'd m-mind giving you're o-opinion on something…,_" He trailed nervously. Really, Mitsuhiko was really too awkward around or talking to girls. A tad curious about what he wanted my opinion on, I questioned, "Opinion? Sure~! On what, Tsuburaya-kun?"

I could almost imagine a red flush spreading across his cheeks. "_I-It's about Ayumi-chan…,_" Ohhhh, I see~! I covered a chuckle with a cough before saying I'd help him out with what he needed and as I waited for him to tell me what he wanted my opinion on, he instead told me to meet him at a nearby florist shop. Flowers – awww, young love~!

"A florist shop, huh? Sure – the one by the Beika station, right?" I questioned, hearing an embarrassed hum of affirmative. "Okay, then. I'll be there in…about ten minutes. I have to get ready." I informed him. "_A-Ah, okay! Thank you, Koizumi-san!_" "No problem." With that, the call ended and I finally arrived at the guest room once more. Somehow, I had not got lost – I think maybe I knew the trick to this house now. You don't guide _yourself _to the room, you _think_ about wanting to _go_ to the room and _let_ yourself _be_ guided. It would make a lot of sense, actually.

I grabbed the bag I'd brought for 'spending the night with Akako-neesan' and dug through it, gathering my clothing and heading into the attached bathroom that was in the guest room, once again taking a glance out the window.

ooOOoo

"Tsuburaya-kun, over here!" I called, waving my hand to gain the boy's attention as he looked at the commuting people. Despite having to take a quick shower and getting dressed, I had somehow arrived before him. Truthfully, I think he'd been dawdling nearby, but had been too nervous and had to gain up his courage. Through the colorful people passing by, I saw him spot me and quickly make his way over to where I was standing in front of the florist shop. Beside me was a variation of smells, ranging from sweet rose to overpowering lavender.

He arrived in front of me, looking incredibly awkward. "H-Hi, Koizumi-san!" He smiled and it looked lopsided and I quirked back a grin. "So, you want to look for flowers for Yoshida-san, right?" I asked and was rewarded with a brilliant red blush dusting his cheeks brightly. I held my tongue and continued, "You like her, right? I'm not sure if I'm the correct person to consult on this, but I'll do my best to aid you!" I announced happily, swinging an arm around his shoulders in a friendly gesture I'd always done with close friends.

If possible, his face turned redder as I led up into the open store, my nose crinkling the slightest as smells assaulted my senses – I wasn't a big flower person, truthfully. "K-K-K-Koizumi-san…," His voice wavered and I turned to look at him, noticing his uncomfortable demeanor. I stopped leading us in, smiling warmly up at him. "Don't worry – just pretend I'm not a girl. That'll make you feel more comfortable, right? From now on, I'm a guy!" I declared proudly.

His face turned a bit disbelieving, brown eyes taking in my appearance. "But, Koizumi-san…You're wearing a skort." He pointed out and I blinked, looking down at myself. True to his words, I was wearing a skort made out of jean material and had a white T-shirt with a panda design on. My grin turned a little sheepish as I looked back to him, "Sorry…It was the first thing I pulled out…," A short chuckle left my lips and I saw him give a small laugh as well, becoming a bit more comfortable.

"Anyways!" I cut in, pulling him further into the store despite my protesting nose. "Flowers for Yoshida-san should be picked out with great care! The first basics to getting a girl flowers is to know what the flower means!" The middle aged florist was giving us an amused look most adults gave to children when they were pretending to be mature as I brought us up to the roses. Several shades of said roses splashed the green scenery and I grinned once I noticed Mitsuhiko staring at them intensely.

"For roses, the different colors of the flower can mean completely different things – red, for one, means true love while burgundy means unconscious beauty and yellow can mean several things ranging from friendship to jealousy to extreme betrayal. Thornless roses mean 'love at first sight', which would be best coupled with a positive color." I explained, gesturing to the colors I'd mentioned. The florist looked surprised by my knowledge as I turned us to the next flowers nearby – forget-me-not's, daffodils, and daisies. "Forget-me-not's mean true love, once again. Daffodils can mean several things; uncertainty, chivalry, respect, 'return my affection', and unrequited love. Obviously, we don't want to send her that one, unless you're going for the 'return my affection' thing."

His face flushed a bit, but he didn't interrupt as I went on. "Daisies, in general, can mean loyal love, purity, faith or cheer, among other things. A red daisy, specifically, means 'beauty unknown to the possessor'. May be a good one, if you feel like flattering her." Nodding my head, I went on, "All in all, flowers – and plants in general – can mean a whole different slew of things from domestic economy to 'choose your destiny'. That's why you need to be careful when choosing these things." I summed up, releasing him from my hold as I put my hands on my hips. He gave me his attention, interested.

"The second thing you need to do when getting a girl flowers is to put together the flowers that transmit your intentions and look _good_ together! Knowing the girl's favorite color also helps, because you want her to not _only_ like the _meaning_ of the bouquet, but to like the _arrangement_, as well." Mitsuhiko nodded seriously and I gave a slight smile as I realized he'd finally loosened up to the point where he didn't feel too awkward anymore.

"With things like this, you should usually choose the flowers beforehand and then ask the florist for her opinion on the bouquet arrangement." Lifting one hand, I pointed to the bundle of lilacs in the corner. "For one, I think that perhaps you should put a purple lilac in the bouquet you're going to give Yoshida-san. It means 'first emotion of love'. She's your first love, right?" I asked curiously, eyes narrowing in amusement as he blushed again. I had a feeling it was going to be something I'd see a lot more often today.

A bit hesitatingly, he nodded, face as red as a tomato. It was pretty cute, I mused with an internal chuckle. "So, that one would be good. What else do you want to express in your bouquet?"

"M-Maybe something that t-tells her that I l-like her…and something that tells her t-t-that…e-even if she doesn't like me b-back, that we'll a-always be friends." He decided shakily. My eyes softened – for a kid, being rejected would usually be a hard thing to handle, but Mitsuhiko was specifically saying that even if she didn't like him, he wouldn't mind and he'd move on, no matter how hard, and continue to have an enduring friendship with the hairband-wearing member of the group. It was endearing and a very mature thing for someone his age – I couldn't help but be a little impressed.

However, I didn't voice my thoughts, humming in thought as I brought my hand to my chin in the classic 'thinking-pose'. My mind immediately gave me several choices and I picked out the ones that would probably look the best together. I glanced around the shop, taking in everything and making sure they had what we needed before nodding. "Okay – those meanings are good to go! Do you want me to choose the flowers, or do you want to do it yourself?" I questioned gently.

"U-Uh…I-I'm no good with flowers, Koizumi-san." He laughed sheepishly, "You can choose them."

I stared a moment at him before smiling, "Okay, I'll be right back." And with that, I walked over to the florist behind the counter, who looked down at me with the same smile she'd been directing towards us before. "I'd like a bouquet with purple lilacs, gardenias, arborvitaes, and asters." I listed off, my eyes off in the corner of the ceiling in thought. That sounded about right, I decided. 'First emotions of love', 'you're lovely or 'sweet love' or 'secret love', 'everlasting friendship', and a 'symbol of love'. Sounded like a good combination. The florist nodded, smiling warmly, and my eyes drifted off to observe two people as she went to gather said flowers.

The two people were a man and a woman – the man was pretty tall and had dark haired swept stylishly to the side and the woman was pretty, wearing a deep shade of red lipstick that I absently thought looked a bit tacky with her skin color. Despite that, they looked like a cute couple in their early thirties. They were talking and I could hear them from my spot. Being nosy, I listened in. "Eh, where's your wedding ring, Yui?" The man questioned in a deep voice, looking down to his wife's ring finger.

The woman – Yui – smiled a bit sheepishly as she held up her hand. "I lost my ring earlier this week while helping a young couple with their arrangements. Could you help me look for it after lunch? I think it's somewhere in the house, but I'm not sure." She explained in an embarrassed tone, quirking a small smile. The man laughed. "Sure, I can help you with that. It's the least I can do for you." The woman opened her mouth to say something back, but I was distracted as the florist came back, brandishing the flowers of my choice.

"Here we go. Is this all?" She asked, already beginning to put them in a nice arrangement. I blinked and my eyes caught sight of blooming hibiscuses out in the front of the store. "Actually, can you add some hibiscuses?" I grinned and she nodded with a knowing smile, going to get them and coming back just as quickly. With that the bouquet was complete.

After all, you can't confess your love for someone without giving them a hibiscus. 'Rare beauty' or 'delicate beauty' is the best of all compliments, after all. And you can't do without it, either, since the third basics of giving a girl flowers, is to compliment her on the beauty only she possesses.

ooOOoo

Once the florist woman was done arranging the flowers into a beautiful display, having wrapped it up in clear plastic and tying it with a pink ribbon, I went back to Mitsuhiko. The bouquet was kind of difficult to carry, with me disliking the scent of flowers so much, but it was manageable and the look on Mitsuhiko's face when he saw the bouquet was totally worth it. He looked like he'd just won a million bucks, plus some. The fact that his face was bright red, too, just made the expression that much more endearing.

I plopped the flowers into his arms, relieved to not have flowers in my face anymore. "There ya go! With that, you'll have nothing to worry about." I grinned, feeling accomplished. He nodded brightly, "Thank you, Koizumi-san! You were a lot of help! I wouldn't have known what to do with you." He said gratefully, shifting the flowers in his arms as we walked back out into the sun. Warmth hit my skin and I hummed in appreciation, nodding slightly.

"Don't worry 'bout it! This is what I'm here for – to help!" My arm lashed out on instinct as I patted his back – a bit too roughly – and he stumbled forward with a laugh at the rough-housing. "Koizumi-san, you really do remind me of a boy." I blinked in surprise and a second later, he realized what he'd just said, "I-I mean – not in a bad way! I-I-It's just you told me to pretend you were a g-guy and, and, I mean–!"

Mitsuhiko was cut off as I gave a raucous laugh, feeling incredibly amused. "Don't worry, I get what you mean! _Hahaha_–It's nice to see you acting so comfortably around me!" I told him honestly with a Cheshire grin as we weaved in and out of people's legs in the surprisingly crowded place. Before he could answer, I went on. "Either way, we should get this to your house and put it in water. You can give it to Yoshida-san tomorrow." I nodded, "Then, we can go to an arcade nearby."

"Eh? Uh, sure." He answered, but his face grew a bit uncertain. "B-But, I'm a bit nervous to give this to Ayumi-chan…I mean, what if she doesn't like it…?" He trailed and I rolled my eyes fondly.

"Tsuburaya-kun. She'll love it. It's beautiful and your feelings are put into it." I bumped his shoulder with mine playfully. "Where's your Yamato-damashii?" I crowed playfully, seeing him flush before looking up determinedly. "You're right, Koizumi-san! I'll definitely give it to her." He decided with a smile.

I nodded, "Good, good. Now, lead the way~! I have absolutely no idea where your house is." I laughed.

ooOOoo

The day was overall great – I'd bonded a lot with Mitsuhiko and spent a lot of time with him; he'd eventually completely relaxed and I encouraged his behavior once he began treating me like one of his guy friends. After dropping off the flowers at his house, we went to a nearby arcade as planned and had a ball trying to beat each other in games like ice hockey, racing games, and, shockingly, first-person-shooter games; that'd been an interesting one to play, as both of us ended up being terrible shots. But, it was still incredibly fun and we'd spent about two hours just playing in the arcade. Eventually, we went to go see a new movie that both of us had been interested in seeing – it was a kid movie with lots of comedy and great animation – and then we'd gone to eat a somewhat late lunch.

That was where we parted, though, as Mitsuhiko's parents had called and asked him to come home for something. So, we'd parted with enthusiastic goodbyes – "See you Monday, Koizumi-san!" "See ya~!" – and he'd went on his way and I went on mine. The sun was still high and the day was still 'young', so to say, and I sighed contently, walking absently on my way to the Teimuzu river. Just as I was about to plug in Erise's number on my phone, the James Bond theme rang out of it shrilly, announcing that the person I was just about to call was calling.

With a bemused smirk, I flipped it open, lowering my voice a bit to sound older, as I was still in Alice's form and my voice was lighter than my usual one. "Erise-chan, great timing~!" I laughed, only to feel my eyes widen in shock as garbled, panicked, words assaulted my ears. The voice was distinguishingly Erise's and I tried to understand her fast pace – I caught the words 'fingerprints', 'culprit', 'suspect', and something about tea.

"Erise-chan! Wait – slow down, I can't understand you!" I practically shouted, brow furring in worry. Finally she silenced and then I heard her take a deep breath to calm herself. The next words were definitely _not_ what I had expected to hear – truthfully, I don't know if anything could have prepared me for them.

"Midori-chan! You've got to help – I've been framed for murder!"

"_What_?!"

**Review Replies: **

**To: DDmasters – Thank you~! I'm glad you liked it! 8D **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – That's good. XD Ah, that sucks. . I'm glad I was able to be of some entertainment for you while you were sick – I hope you get better soon! (Sends Virtual Get Well Cards and Chicken Soup) Haha, don't worry, I don't either. XD And perhaps~! (Grins) Thank you, E-chan~! (Grins as Snowflakes Fall and Eats Cyber Cookie) **

**To: Iriss-sama – Yup – the second part~! 8DDDD It was really, really fun to write. XD I kind of feel bad for both, too, but I enjoy torturing them too much. XD They're probably get more torture in the future – not even probably, they **_**will**_**. (Snickers) Woah~! Lots of questions~! XD I'll leave it to surprise you~! XD And I'll try to do my best to write everything! 8D It's okay – I have to do that a lot, too. XD I'm really glad you enjoy this story so much~! It makes me really happy, too~! (Grinning ear to ear) Ah, I hate getting up early. . And awesome~! 8DDD Summer break is the best~! (High-Fives) (Laughs) Okay, get some good sleep! ^^ Thank you for the luck, Ri-chan~! (Stuffs Luck in jar for safe keeping) XD **

**-Well, bet you didn't see that one coming, huh? XD I cut it off there because I'm evil. (Laughs Maniacally) Next up is the actual case. (Nods) XD Also, I feel like this chapter had a lot of unnecessary information, but hey. Maybe you learned something? (Sheepish grin and shrug) Oh well. XD **

**Note(s):**

**Yamato-damashii: Yamato-Damashii (****大和魂****, "Japanese spirit") is a historically and culturally loaded word in the Japanese language. The phrase was apparently coined in the Heian period to describe the indigenous Japanese 'spirit' or cultural values as opposed to the cultural values imported into the country through contact with Tang dynasty China. Later, a qualitative contrast between Japanese and Chinese spirit was elicited from the term. Edo period writers and samurai used it to gloss the Bushido concept of 'valor'. Japanese nationalists propagandized Yamato-damashii – 'the brave, daring, and indomitable spirit of Japanese people' – as one of the key Japanese military-political doctrines in the Showa period. English translations of Yamato-damashii include the 'Japanese spirit', 'Japanese soul', 'Yamato spirit', and 'The Soul of Old Japan'. (Explanation taken from Wikipedia!) **

**-Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me this far! I really appreciate all my readers and just – thank you. Without you guys, this story wouldn't have made it this far. I feel like I've said this many times, but I just can't say it enough to express my complete and utter gratitude to all of you. To not end on a completely cheesy note: Every one of you is completely awesome and don't you ever forget that! –showers you with love–**

"**Next Revolver Hint: Fingerprints!"**

**(Yes, this was actually supposed to be here, but I accidently put it in the last chapter. I changed last chapter's hint. XD;;; Sorry about the confusion… (Sheepish Grin)**


	41. (O) The Cowardly Culprit (1)

**A/N: Welp. I hope this isn't too easy. XD I couldn't come up with anything else and, yeah… (Laughs Sheepishly) Um, well, enjoy? Also, this is a bit late in the game, but my sister mentioned that the song Bump in the Night by The Allstars fits the Library Murder Case. XD I just thought it was hilarious while thinking of it while listening to the song, so I thought I'd share. XD I really feel like this isn't a good case, but, who knows? Maybe it's at least decent? ;;; **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama. **

Chapter Forty One; original case

"Midori-chan! You've got to help – I've been framed for murder!"

"_What?!" _

The shocked shout instantly tumbled out of my mouth before I quickened my stride, heading to a nearby public bathroom that I could change in – thankfully, I'd brought my bag with me, with clothes to change into. My lips curled downwards, immediately feeling entirely displeased with whoever had framed Erise and a familiar protective feeling curled deep in my stomach. I ignored the feelings, pushing them away for now. "Explain the situation." I demanded briskly, finally making it into the bathroom and locking the stall door behind me with a sharp clack.

I rested the phone between my cheek and shoulder as I hurriedly changed and whispered the command words, instantly growing in size as my heart raced beneath my chest. Erise's voice drowned out the sound of my harsh breathing. "I-I'm not even exactly sure! I was just eating at our café and t-then, suddenly, t-this woman falls over and d-dies!" She explained and I heard a faint sniff from the other side – she sounded close to tears. "A-And then the police come and they said t-that they found my fingerprints on the w-woman's cup!" She hiccupped.

My eyes narrowed in thought as I gave a low hum, pulling my larger clothes on. The fabric shuffled over my skin and I buttoned up my shirt as I began to speak to Erise, "That's problematic, but if there's a trick, there's always a way to figure it out. You're at the café, right? I'll be right there." I informed her and I heard a thankful sigh over the phone, fuzzing the connection briefly. "Thank you, Midori-chan." There was an unfamiliar voice over the line before Erise spoke again. "I need to go. See you soon…,"

The phone clicked off and I stood there for a minute, listening to the beeping before clicking my phone shut as well as that computerized woman began talking. I finished dressing, slapping on my cap, before leaving the bathroom and beginning on my way to our usual café. My eyes narrowed in a glare and I glanced down an alley before brushing it off and continuing on.

Whoever was _dumb_ enough to frame_ Erise_…

ooOOoo

I arrived at the café fairly quick, my pace being purposeful instead of my usually lazy, uncaring, walking. There were police guarding the doors into the café and crowds of people were standing by, curious by the police's presence. Really, people were too curious for their own good. I ignored the onlookers and strode up to the two officers guarding the door, giving them a casual smile. "Can I come in? My friend is inside." I asked nicely and saw the two officers glance at each other for a moment.

Finally, the taller of the two spoke up. "Sorry, but this area is a crime scene. You'll have to wait." He stated. I blinked and my smile twitched upwards in slight annoyance, "I don't think you understand. My friend is inside. She's a suspect for the case. Ryukaze Erise – the falsely accused." They didn't budge, so I went for a more direct approach.

"I'm here in Hattori Heiji's stead." I grinned, hiding a laugh, "As a detective."

They stared at me in speculation and I sighed before pulling out my cellphone, hitting Heiji's number. The numbers dialed instantly and two rings later, a familiar voice answered, "_Hello?_" I raised my brows at the officers as they seemed to recognize the Osakan accent both of us had before I asked, "This is Hattori Heiji, right?" "_Uh, yeah, why are ya asking that, Mid–_?" I cut him off as I clicked my phone shut, point proven. "See?" I knew I'd hear about that later, but I didn't care at the moment.

The officers exchanged glances once more before they stepped aside hesitantly. I nodded to both, feeling accomplished, before pushing the door opened, the bell ringing at my entrance, and striding in like I owned the place. My eyes immediately picked out the crime scene – a woman lying face-flat on the floor, surrounded by tape and there was a cup shattered beside her, a man sitting at the table next to the body, pale and shaky, and the police were unmistakable. Megure-keibu was the one who stood out the most.

Once I catalogued the scene, I searched around, spotting Erise's familiar figure at our usual table, slumped down and looking thoroughly worried. Her hands were clenched together in her lap and her eyes were deep in thought. I hurried over, ignoring the police who had noticed my presence, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped at my touch and looked up quickly, relaxing once she realized it was just me. I frowned in concern. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, smiling faintly. "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for coming, Midori-chan. I spotted your number first and then without thinking…," She explained sheepishly. Feeling incredibly amused, I let out a raucous laugh, startling her. "Don't worry, don't worry! I'm actually glad you called me first!" I grinned, flashing her a thumbs-up. A heavy hand was put on my shoulder and I was turned to face Megure-keibu. He looked disgruntled at my appearance. "This is a crime scene – you can't just come in and–" He gruffed before pausing and his eyes squinted as he looked closer at my face.

I gave a nervous grin, suddenly remembering that they both knew me by _two different names… _Well, this was awkward. "H-Hey, Megure-keibu. Fancy seeing you again." I greeted with a small laugh and he removed his hand from my shoulder. He deadpanned. "You again?" He questioned and his voice was just as annoyed as he looked. It kind of looked like he was thinking something along the lines of 'great, another Mouri-kun?'. I bit back a laugh as I nodded and he sighed.

"You two know each other?" Erise questioned curiously, looking entirely more at ease with me in the building – it was nice to see I'd made a difference. Megure looked between the two of us as I turned to look at the brunette. "Yeah. I met him on a few other cases." I told her with a lopsided grin. Her sky blue eyes blinked in confusion and I hid a flinch as Megure cut in, "You know the suspect?" Nodding, I looked back to the inspector, "Yeah, we're friends." I affirmed. "And she's not the killer." I tacked on for good measure.

He didn't seem amused. "Watanabe-san, I understand that you want to be here for Ryukaze-san, but you can't just come barging into an ongoing investigation." He said with another sigh. I froze before my heart restarted at a faster pace; he'd just called me Watanabe. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Erise mouthing the last name to herself with a completely confused face. Well, shit…

"Um, you don't get it, Keibu. I'm here in Heiji-han's stead. I'm his apprentice." I lied on the spot, once again feeling the innate need to burst into laughter. Heiji's _apprentice_…! Oh, _geez_! Sometimes, I wondered about the part of my mind that supplied lies – it seemed like a strange place. "When I told him that my friend was in trouble, he told me he'd solve the case over the phone once I surveyed everything – that way, there's no favoritism." I explained with a matter-of-fact tone that I could tell irritated the inspector a bit as his brow twitched.

"I won't be a bother, promise!" Instinctively, my hand drew an 'X' over my heart in promise, "You won't even know I'm here."

He stared for a moment before giving in with a frown. "Okay, you can stay. But, if you interfere with our investigation, I'll have to make you leave." With that pointed last shot, he walked back over to the other officers, starting a conversation with them that I couldn't hear. Turning back to Erise, I felt like I couldn't breath – she'd heard my other name! I smiled a bit nervously and shuffled into the seat parallels to hers. Surprisingly enough, she didn't ask anything, just stared at me for a long moment.

Unnerved with the silence, I broke it. "Uh, s-so. Mind explaining the situation in detail to me?" I questioned, leaning forward and resting my chin on my folded hands. She pondered for a minute longer before deciding to answer the question. "Um, okay. So, I was eating lunch here – I had a burger and a pink lemonade – and when I was almost done with my meal, the woman sitting over at that table–" She pointed to the table where the pale man was sitting next to the body, "–with that man suddenly stood up and she looked like she was in immense pain and then she collapsed. I remember seeing her coffee mug shatter on the floor. The manager called the police and an ambulance, but by the time they got here, it was too late. I was so shocked! I never expected something like this to happen to me!" She frowned and it was strange seeing such an expression on Erise's face.

"After that, the police refrained anyone from entering and leaving and then while they were investigating, they suddenly asked if there was a Ryukaze Erise in the building. When I stood up, they asked me why my fingerprints were on the victim's coffee mug – the coffee mug that had the poison that killed her!" She whisper-shouted, obviously incredibly worried and scared.

I bit my lip, thinking intensely. Obviously, Erise wasn't the killer. I had no doubt about that. Even if I had only known her for a couple months, I knew that she wouldn't kill anyone – _couldn't_ kill anyone. The only thing dangerous about Ryukaze Erise was her kendo and taekwondo and that's about it. Plus, she most likely didn't have any reason to kill the woman, which only emphasized the fact that she _wasn't_ the killer. Surely the police knew that, too, but needed to keep an opened mind to the possibility that she _did_ kill the woman. Always a suspect until proven innocent, or something, right? Or was that the other way around?

I shook the thoughts out of my mind, going back to the problem at hand. The fingerprints. How the heck did someone get Erise's _fingerprints_, of all things? To do that, you'd need preparing beforehand and possibly equipment that would be difficult to find – actually, I erased my last thought, you would only need something to pick up her fingerprints and then put them onto the mug. It wasn't actually too complicated now that I think about it. I clicked my tongue in annoyance, leaning back in the booth to stare at the ceiling. Erise stayed silent, probably thinking of her own things.

So, to get fingerprints wasn't all that hard, if given the opportunity – but, why _Erise_? That was the ultimate question. Was it just a random decision or did somebody _purposely_ want to frame her? The thought sent an angry trill up my throat and I swallowed down the up-and-coming growl that wanted to escape. Come on – _focus_! You can do this. I restarted my previous musings.

If given the opportunity, you'd be able to steal Erise's fingerprints and then frame her for the murder – but, if she didn't have a motive, it'd practically be a moot point. The police would realize that she wasn't related to the victim in any way and she'd be proven innocent in court by default, no matter the fingerprints. So, what was the reason? And, of course, the actual culprit would have to be in this building. My eyes flashed to the pale man sitting at the victim's table. If I knew anything about killers, it'd be that they were usually close to the victim – unless they were a raging psychopath, but that was beside the point.

"Hey, Erise-chan, did that man come close to your table at all?" I asked absently, observing the man. A glimmer on his left ring finger caught my attention – he must be the victim's husband then, I decided. Erise shook her head, red-brown locks swaying with the motion. "Nope. He was sitting at his table the whole time. The only person who came near my table was the waitress." She stated. I glanced over to the mentioned waitress, noting she looked quite distressed for someone who was just a witness; apparently, the police had noticed, too, and were interrogating her at the moment. I smirked a bit.

"Did you ever leave your table while you were here?" was my next question. She nodded, "Yeah, I went to the bathroom." If the waitress was the culprit, then she had definitely gotten Erise's fingerprints when Erise'd been in the bathroom. I glanced at the contents of the table we were at, looking at the unfinished burger before I focused on the glass of warmed lemonade. A bit of powdery dust caught my attention and I leaned forward, careful not to touch anything.

Erise's fingerprints were definitely taken from this cup, then, I mused, leaning back into the booth. "This might sound rude – but, is there someone with a grudge against you?" I felt a bit bad asking this question, but I needed to cover all bases – though, I could hardly imagine it. Erise was a sweet girl; anyone who held a grudge on her would have to be a complete jackass_._ She didn't look offended – thankfully – and looked up in thought, brow furring in concentration.

"I'm…not sure. There _could _be someone, but if there is, I don't remember." She laughed gently after a moment. I let out a breathy chuckle, amused, before I nodded, standing up. She looked up in surprise, "Midori-chan?"

"Don't worry, I'll be back~! I just need to gather more information about the actual murder." I flashed her a grin before leaving the table, hands shoved in my pockets as I headed towards the body and police group. If I wanted to actually clear Erise's name, I'd need to know about my two other suspects and the victim before making any type of accusation.

_Now, let's see if I can actually do this… _

ooOOoo

It was frustrating – incredibly _frustrating_. The police were more annoyed of my presence than anything and I couldn't get a _shred_ of information more about the case than what Erise had told me. Until, of course, I struck a deal with Megure. I told him that if he gave me two hours – with full, police cooperation –, I'd know who the culprit was by then and if not, I'd leave. Obviously, my persistence had won and he'd agreed – probably with the thought in mind that once my two hours were up, he'd be able to make me leave. And with that big mouth, foot-in-mouth syndrome of mine, I finally gained access to more information. But – I also needed to solve this in two hours; otherwise I'd be 'kicked' out. _Great… _

Decided to take full advantage of my two hours, though, my first stop was a forensic officer nearby. He looked down at me with a curious expression, but Megure had already informed everyone to let me join their investigation. My eyes surveyed the dead body beside us and I was surprisingly not effect as much this time – it wasn't as disconcerting with the woman facedown; though it still sent an uncomfortable sensation down my skin. "What poison killed her?"

The forensic officer looked down to his clipboard. "She was killed by sodium cyanide, which had been added to her coffee. It was an almost immediate death." He informed somewhat absently, jotting down notes on the piece of paper before flipping through the other things. I nodded – of _course_ it was cyanide; nobody in Detective Conan ever seemed to use anything else, I mused internally. "Was there any other fingerprints on Erise-chan's table?"

"Other than the waitress's? No."

"And the victim's name?"

An ID was produced in a plastic bag and I took it, gazing down at the ID with a deadpanned face. Was this serious? The woman that I'd seen earlier at the florist shop stared back at me from the ID, smiling. The kanji beside the picture read Takahiro Yui, along with her hair color, eye color, weight, and height with several other things. I looked down to the woman with a frown, handing the baggy back to the forensic officer, before looking up to the man sitting at her table. It most definitely wasn't the same man she'd been with earlier. A cheater, then?

She'd told the other man about losing her ring, though, so was that her actual husband? But, that didn't make any sense – the one sitting at the table was so clearly wearing his own wedding ring. Were they _both_ cheaters then? I'm pretty sure my face looked comical as I gaped at the floor in confusion. The man in the florist shop had most definitely been wearing a ring, as well, now that I think about it – what was going on here? Bereft of a clear train of thought, I stood there for a moment before pulling off my hat and ruffling my hair wildly. "_Rahh!_ This isn't getting me anywhere!" I hissed to myself in frustration.

Obviously, I wasn't made for the job of a detective.

I paced beside the body for a second before smirking to myself, heading quickly to the man still sitting at the table. He looked up at my arrival, still pale and shaken. I dismissed his unstable appearance and got straight to the point – I was never exactly known for my tact, after all. "So, are you Takahiro Yui's husband or…?" I trailed suggestively. He grew defensive very quickly, slamming his hand down onto the table and charging into a standing position. I flinched backwards, startled.

"_What's that supposed to mean, brat?! Of course I'm her husband! What did you think, punk?!_" His voice thundered, breaking the relative silence of the café and making my ears ring painfully. I raised my hand in surrender, "It didn't mean anything, I swear! I was just wondering, because you could've possibly been her brother or something!" I barked back, scowling. Well, well, someone's tense~!

Almost immediately, he relaxed. I blinked at the sudden personality change. "Oh, I see." He started, sitting back down, "Yes, I'm her husband. My name is Takahiro Yoichi. I'm a doctor. Are you with the police?" He questioned and I raised my brows impeccably before nodding – in a way, I was – and placed my hands back into my pockets, studying him with a critical eye. "I'm a freelance detective that they consult for help." I lied, "My name is Watanabe Midori." I introduced, offering a hand for him to shake for but a moment before pulling it back. I forgot – in Japan, you don't really shake hands. Oh boy, my foreign-ness is showing through…

Clearing my throat awkwardly, I went on with my questions, "I believe I saw your wife in the florist shop earlier? Is she a florist?" It seemed like an innocent enough question, but I was looking for a raise – nothing; darn. He smiled a bit sadly, "No, Yui was a wedding planner. She was probably setting the flower arrangements for an up-and-coming wedding." He informed and I nodded, bringing a hand to my chin in the classic 'thinking-pose'. A wedding planner, huh? That would explain why she was in the florist shop but who was the dude?

A client, perhaps? The wedding ring the man was wearing could have been an engagement ring. The idea was vetoed quickly – the man had called her by her first name, without any honorifics. They had to be close and a client and wedding planner wouldn't be getting friendly enough to call each other casually while inviting each other to lunch and such. Unless, somehow, my information about business relationships was off, but I hardly doubt it. And even if she had been cheating, that didn't explain how she could so easily tell him she was missing her wedding ring, nor how the man had worn his so easily around her.

I rolled my eyes, thanking the man briefly, before heading over to the waitress that had just finished the questioning with the police. She took one look at me before sighing and taking a seat at the bar counter tabletop, resting her chin on her palm. "I take it you're going to question me again, freelance detective." She quirked a half-smile. I raised one brow. She answered my silent questioning, "I heard you talking with Yo–Takahiro-san." She explained. I caught the slip.

My eyes narrowed the slightest and I saw a bead of sweat run down her cheek nervously. I located her nametag; Toshiro Sakura. "Do you know Takahiro-san?" I asked innocently. She mustered up an unbelievable smile. "Of course I don't. This is the first time that Takahiro-san and his wife have ever been to this café." She answered. Uh-huh…

"Oh, does that mean that you could've known him _before_ he came to this café with the Mrs.?" I grinned happily and she quickly spluttered out a reply, "O-Of course not! I don't see how I have anything to do with your investigation. The police have already questioned me. Why don't you leave this up to the professionals, kid?" She quipped with a sharp tone. Defensive, defensive~!

I backed up with my hands up in surrender, "Okay, okay, don't get your panties in a twist. I was just wondering. There's nothing to be defensive over, right?" I chuckled darkly as she opened her mouth to retort again, but I quickly walked away from her, going back to Erise's table and plopping into the booth.

"I'm pretty sure you have nothing to worry about." I told her with a smirk, adjusting my hat restlessly. "The police are holding a tight leash on the waitress's tail. She's the most likely one, so…," My eyes went up in thought as I scratched my cheek. Something felt wrong.

Even if the waitress was the killer because of an affair with Yui's husband, that doesn't explain why she framed Erise; why not just frame the easiest person – the husband? It would be more likely for him to kill his wife, but…actually, not really either. _He _was the one cheating, not her. Unless she _was_ cheating with that man. But, no – I really doubt it because of the wedding rings. Even if he saw them together, you'd think he'd notice that they were both wearing their rings and then he'd assume he was just a client or something; old friends or something of the sorts. Besides, he wouldn't have time to collect Erise's fingerprints, unlike the waitress.

My eyes widened as I replayed some of my thoughts from earlier and I stood up, startling Erise, and made my way over to the forensic officer quickly. Absently, I glanced at the clock; about forty-one minutes had passed and I had an hour and some minutes left. Good; plenty of time. "Hey, can I see the victim's cellphone? I want to check something." I said with an urgent tone. He stared at me for a moment before complying, handing over the mobile that was placed in another plastic baggy. I grinned in thanks, pressing some buttons and immediately going to her contacts.

I scrolled down, glad she only had a few contacts – Yoichi, okaa-san, otou-san – and I finally reached her last contact; the last out of four. The kanji was bold, Masaomi, it stated. I opened his 'file', pulling out my own cellphone and dialing in the number quickly. Once that was done, I clicked out of the contact list and handed the phone back to the skeptical forensic.

I headed off into the corner, phone at my ear and the deep voice from earlier at the florist answer. "Hello?"

"Ah, yes, sorry to bother you. My name is Watanabe Midori and…,"

ooOOoo

I sighed, shutting my phone with a click. So that's how it was. I quirked a smile, though, glancing over to the waitress – I guess Erise's name would be cleared; that was a good thing. I raised my arms above my head in a stretch, feeling accomplished despite the difficulty level of the case being very easy for one in the Detective Conan world. I jumped as my phone rang out suddenly, and I glanced at the screen, laughing a bit as the words 'Hattori Heiji' flashed boldly.

I opened my phone, bringing it to my lips, "Perfect timing, Heiji-han~!" I snickered, heading to the bathroom to talk to him in private. "_Perfect timing? What are ya going on about? And what was with that call earlier? You know who I am and then you hang up on me?_" He voiced through the phone, sounding slightly irritated. I laughed, reaching the bathroom and locking the door; due to the café being relatively small, it had one of those one person bathrooms.

"Sorry about that – I needed people to think I was your apprentice." I ignored the spluttered, "_You what? Why?_" and continued on, "Either way, I need your opinion on something." I intoned, leaning back on the cold walls of the bathroom. He sighed in exasperation, but he sounded vaguely amused. "_And what would that be, Midori-han?_"

"A case, actually. I think I know the culprit, but I'm not exactly sure. Plus, I don't have any evidence." My tongue clicked in annoyance as he chuckled, "_A case? If I didn't know any better, you'd be a detective, Midori-han._" "My lucks just bad." I quipped, earning another amused laugh. Unbidden, my lips curled upwards. "_Whatever you say. So, tell me the details._ _I'm curious about the type of case you'd get wrapped into._" The grin on his face was practically tangible through his voice.

"Oh, shut it." I laughed. "Anyways, here's my deduction…," I trailed uncertainly before starting up at the beginning. He listened intently, interjecting a few times or humming in approval. Finally, I was finished and he hummed over the line again. "_Sounds about right._" I sighed in relief; good, at least it wasn't completely off. "_The problems the evidence, though. There doesn't seem to be any. The fingerprint remover was probably flushed down the toilet, too._"

"Uh, please don't say that. There's _no_ way I'm going digging through the sewage." I groaned, making a face at the mere thought.

Heiji laughed over the line and his tone was smug and calculating – "_Well, it was just a misunderstanding. If you explain that, I'm sure they'll break._"

"That sounds so sinister."

"_Hey, whatever works, right? Besides, it isn't like you're holding 'em at gunpoint._"

"I guess…," I sighed. "Okay, thanks for your help, Heiji-han. I'll call you back with the results." I told him, smiling as he began to protest. "_Hey, wait, I want to ask you somethi_–" I cut off his call with a click, snapping my phone shut.

Well, then. I had a culprit to reveal. I passed off the quelling feeling of excitement and smugness due to helping Erise – no way was I turning into one of those detective-like people. I shivered away the thought. Yeah, no thanks…

Mentally, I moved forward a pawn.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – (Laughs) I know that if I got in a jam, the first person I'd call would be my sister, but sometimes, in panic, you just call the first person that comes to mind. XDDD No problem, E-chan! I hope you're feeling better now. Being sick sucks. (Winces) But, if you're not – here's some more chicken soup! (Hands over Steaming Bowl) (Laughs) I hope not. XDDD Shinichi would prosecute me with indirect murder. XDD (Grins as Snowflakes fall and eats Cyber Cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! **

**To: MagicMilkbone – (Laughs) The whole flower thing will be explained in the next chapter. XD And I can't wait until I make it to Ai~! 8D Oh, I pair them two~! ConanxAi is so cute~! 83 And they would look pretty cute together~! XD I kind of feel bad for framing Erise, but it's not like she was in any danger of being arrested – sort of. XDD;;; (Laughs) She does, doesn't she? XD I feel like her luck is a bit of both – twisted good luck and horribly bad luck. XD I like the poem The Jester – it's short, but an interesting look into a Jester's job. 8D And it's okay! ^^ **

**To: Iriss-sama - Yup, an update~! 8DDD (Evil Laughter) I had stopped it like that and now I'm stopping it here~! **_**Mwahahahaha**_**– (Coughs) Ugh. My throat. XD (Grins) And Erise is okay, for now. XDDD And you're not the worst author. ^^ Some people don't update their story for, like, years and don't give it a second thought. Or, sometimes, they cancel it and leave people hanging. But, you haven't done that. ^^ And I will – thank you! 8D (Gathers all the luck material) Thank you so much, Ri-chan~! 8DDDD (Returns Lucky Hug) **

**-Well. I hope that this isn't too translucent of a case. I had a difficult time planning this and got lost several times, since I'm a scatterbrain. XD And I felt the need to leave the deduction hanging, since Conan does that with those irritating doors. XD Can anyone figure this out? 8D **

"**Next Revolver's Hint: Pockets!"**


	42. (O) (LN) The Cowardly Culprit (2)

**A/N: Well. This could've turned out better, but I didn't know how. Gosho-sensei! Give me your brain filled with ways to kill people and find evidence that links to it! DD8 Anyways – enjoy? XDDDDD This is, also, the beginning of the Lucid Nightmare Arc. The first arc in the Revolver series! Yesh! We have made it far together, my friends~! (Tunes out into melancholic state) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama. **

Chapter Forty Two; original case; Lucid Nightmare Arc

I walked out of the bathroom, hand to my chin as I slipped my phone back into my pocket. 'Kay, just one thing to check then. I arrived back at Erise's table and once again took a seat in the booth with her. She was beginning to look slightly pensive, but as I grinned, she relaxed. "By that smile, I'm assuming you figured it out?" She laughed, poking my cheek gently and I nodded brightly. "Yup – you're completely safe, Ri-chan~!" I crowed, stealing a quick hug that startled her before pulling back and ruffling her hair happily.

"One more question, though, just for certainty!" I interjected our celebration of sorts and I lowered my voice quietly, "When you were in the bathroom, was someone talking on their phone outside of the bathroom?" I asked, gesturing to the hall which led to the bathroom and the turn it led to that would hide people from view if they were there.

Erise blinked, "Yeah – it was a woman, by the sounds of it." I smirked. Perfect. I flinched as something crawled onto my lap and I looked down to see Kin staring back up me – how the _heck _had he gotten in here? I sighed, pulling him up to my shoulder and letting him rest there as he rubbed his face against mine. I hummed, appreciating the feel of the silky fur, before getting back to business.

"Okay, then. It's settled. I know who the culprit is." Internally, I thanked Heiji, before standing and making my way over to the police group, Erise following me with a beckoning hand. Megure glanced at me at my arrival, "Oh, Watanabe-san." He greeted again and I nodded back to him, "Megure-keibu, Heiji-han has figured out who the killer is. He told me over the phone just now."

"What? Who's the killer, then, Watanabe-san?" He asked, eager to get the killer behind bars and to go back to the police headquarters to rest.

I smiled, placing my hands on my hips. "Well, you see, Megure-keibu. The culprit to this case is so cowardly that they set up two false leads." I announced, my eyes narrowing in amusement as one person's expression changed to panic. "The trick to this case was the fingerprints. Erise-chan is completely innocent and was randomly chosen because she happened to be here today – she was an easy target." Erise pouted at the fact and I held back a smile.

"Takahiro-san had no time to gather the fingerprints and Toshiro-san, the waitress, had no reason to kill Takahiro-san's wife. Or, at least, that's what you'd think." I smirked as she hurried forward to protest, face gaining slight color as she grew angry. "You can't just accuse people of having a motive, _brat_!" She spat out, scowling deeply at me.

One look from the inspector shut her up, though, and I went on. "You had an affair with Takahiro-san, didn't you? When we were talking earlier, you almost called him his given name, but then you changed it to 'Takahiro' as a way to conceal your relationship. You could just be really, really close – which would be strange, unless you've known each other a long time – but since you hid it, there must have been a _reason_ to hide it. You also denied knowing Takahiro-san before today." I pointed out, feeling innately smug as her face paled from its angry flush.

Megure turned to the woman, "Is this true, Toshiro-san?" The stern glare of the intimidating inspector made her spill her guts. "I-It's true. Yoichi-kun and I have been dating for months….," She admitted, ashamed, head bowed down. I frowned – this woman…

I turned to Yoichi. "Have anything to say for yourself?" I prompted, raising a superior brow to get a rise. This time, it worked. "Of course I do! I didn't ever love this girl – she was just for fun! The woman I loved was Yui!" He roared, once again barreling out of his seat and getting all up in my face. A nearby officer put a hand in front of his chest to push him slightly away from me and I sent the officer a thankful nod before going on. "So, you didn't love Toshiro-san…_at all_?" I asked incredulously.

"_No_!" The reply was instantaneous and I sent the waitress an unrepentant look – the expression on her face was hurt, but she looked more enraged than anything. She'd probably been using him for his money, then, or hadn't love-loved him if that was the case; though, I could be wrong. Matters of the heart were always a lot more complicated than regular equations, after all, and didn't make as much sense as logical problems did. I admit I was a bit callous when it came to such regards.

"Well, then. There ya go." I huffed with an amused smirk that twisted up unheeded – Erise looked a little surprised and a bit entertained by my blatant amusement at the whole situation.

"So Toshiro-san is the culprit?" Megure-keibu questioned briskly, wanting to arrest someone – he was already heading to the poor waitress. I was quick to clear up the misunderstanding, "Ah, no. Toshiro-san is completely innocent." I grinned sheepishly at the deadpanned look I got in return. "But you said that Takahiro-san had no time to gather the fingerprints and Toshiro-san is innocent! The only other person is Ryukaze-san, and you _also_ said she was innocent!" The inspector sounded thoroughly annoyed.

"R-Right, sorry about that… I'm new at the whole explaining thing…," I chuckled nervously, scratching my cheek aimlessly. Awkwardly, I coughed into my hand, starting back up at the beginning. Now, where was I…._right_! "Anyways, what I was saying was that Erise-chan was an unfortunate scapegoat, Takahiro-san had no time, and Toshiro-san had a motive, but she also is innocent. She knew that Takahiro-san had a wife and had been fine with it for _months_ – why suddenly act on it, right?" Wow, I really hoped that was right. Once again, matters of the heart were…

"But, the truth of the matter is that the culprit was waiting for this. Erise-chan was just insurance and planned to frame the waitress the whole time. When Erise-chan went to the bathroom – and if she hadn't, the second false lead would've been disproved – and the culprit's plan was set into action. Now, the culprit knew that if the waitress was still hanging around, he wouldn't be able to get the fingerprints…," By now, everybody knew who the culprit was and was staring directly at him.

Yoichi had paled considerably, looking like the coward I had pointed him out to be earlier, and his mouth was gaping like a fish's. "So, when Erise-chan went to the bathroom – at the same time that Takahiro-san's wife got a call; perhaps it was always scheduled for that time – Takahiro-san probably asked the waitress for more coffee or something." I glanced to her for confirmation and she nodded soundless; probably shocked that her boyfriend of a few months was a killer. Couldn't blame her. "So, Takahiro-san was left all alone in the main café for a while. He took Erise-chan's fingerprints at the time while his wife was out of sight along with the waitress and poisoned his wife's coffee. That's why he must have come here – this place is small and doesn't get much people."

I stared at Yoichi, who had suddenly stood once more. "Y-Your evidence! W-Where's your evidence?!" He shouted in a frenzy. Bingo – the cat was in the bag.

I gave him a grin, flashing my teeth for a brief second. "I don't have any."

"What? Watanabe-san, you can't just accuse someone of murder without evidence…," Megure droned from my right in an 'oi, oi…' tone. I swallowed down a snicker, wanting to seem as serious as possible. I crossed my arms, nodding, "I know, I know. But, really, he probably thought that his wife was having an affair and ended up killing her in rage, despite him having an affair, too." I huffed, "People like him disgust me." I laughed out and as expected, I got a rise out of him again.

"She was having an affair – that woman! How could she cheat on me when she told me she'd only ever love me?!" He roared and the vehemence in his voice surprised me – he sounded like a complete loon. Not right in the knocker, if you know what I mean. The police looked startled by his outburst, but they seemed to now know that he was the killer and I wasn't just randomly accusing him.

"She wasn't cheating on you – stupid!" I snapped. "You saw her with a man about yay-tall–" I lifted my hand, "–with black hair and brown eyes, right?" I asked, feeling annoyed by the man. He nodded slowly, as if suddenly dreading what I was about to say.

"That man is Akechi Masaomi – her half-brother. I talked to him on the phone earlier." I informed the Yoichi, who had suddenly gone pale and regretful – it seemed he couldn't decide which mood he'd be in. Maybe he was bipolar? Though, I doubted that. "B-But, that's…," He trailed weakly.

I nodded. "Yup – it's the truth, no lie." For some reason, that line made me want to laugh hysterically, but I once again swallowed it down. "You probably didn't notice his wedding ring – he wore it while–" The ringtone of my phone interrupted me and with a huff, I took it out of my pocket to see who it was. 'Hattori Heiji' was once again flashing on the screen. I sighed, flipping open my phone and looking at the options. 'Answer' and 'Ignore' were pronounced loudly on the screen and I absently pressed the 'ignore' button before turning off my phone – there, now he can't bother me again. I smirked.

"Sorry, where was I…? Right, he wore his wedding ring when he was with her, so I don't know why you thought they were dating."

"His pockets." He croaked. "H-His hands were in his…pockets…," Oh. That explained a few things.

Yoichi slid down to the floor, tears beginning to stream down his face powerfully. "What have I done? Yui is… _Yui is_… _I killed Yui_!" With that, he broke down completely, burying his face into his hands as his sobs grew in sound. The sight was overall displeasing to look at and slightly depressing. An officer came forward and helped the culprit up carefully, beginning to escort him out. Megure turned to me. "Thank you, Watanabe-san. Thank Hattori-kun for me, too." He smiled.

I grinned, "No problem~!" My arm swung around Erise's shoulders, "We can go now, right? She can be questioned tomorrow!" I announced in Erise's stead, who looked flustered by the sudden end of the case. "Uh, sure." The inspector blinked and I smiled sweetly. "Well, then. We'll be leaving now. Thank you for your hard work~!"

And with that, I guided Erise out of the café, leaving behind the inspector and the case.

ooOOoo

"That was a close call." I hummed absently, looking up to the sky. The blueness had faded out to the pre-sunset orange of the day. A content smile curled onto my lips. Today had been pretty productive, actually; a day with Mitsuhiko and then a case – if you could call it that. If Shinichi or Heiji had been there personally, it would've had a much more fantastical ending that I gave it and would've been solved in a heartbeat. I couldn't help but be a little put-off by that. It was a matter of the heart, though, and I would never understand such things in a heartbeat.

"Yeah, thanks for helping me out, Midori-chan." Erise thanked me, sounding extremely grateful, but a little distracted. Kin's tail flicked across my cheek as he retreated into my jacket, disappearing behind the fabric. I glanced over to Erise out of the corner of my eye curiously, my bangs obscuring most of her expression – except for the fact that she was staring at me with strangely focused eyes. I flinched at the sudden attention, blinking.

"What is it?" I questioned in interest.

She was silent for a long moment, hair looking like a fiery red in the lighting of the sun as it reflected over her features. It was times like this that I realized exactly how much I would miss her in my world – my stay here was like the sun making a long round around the earth. It was kind of a depressing thought that I immediately shook off. If I started now, I'd start thinking about my family and being depressed was just a no-go! Mentally, I slapped myself – really hard. In the heat of the moment, I swore I felt my actual cheek sting a bit.

Chuckling, I shook away the thoughts, focusing back on Erise. She finally opened her mouth, "Your name. Why…do you have two names?"

My heart froze in remembrance – shoot, she'd heard both! I freakin' forgot! Well, now I feel stupid about forgetting something that important. "Uh – that is…I mean." I stuttered unintelligently, scrambling for an answer. Truthfully, there wasn't really one that sounded…_sane_. Thoughts whizzed behind my eyes, probably clear as day. I huddled Kin closer, "Um, ya know how it is. Police and things like detective work are dangerous sometimes and…Heiji-han said that I should have an alias…since I'm so young…and shouldn't be getting…too involved in things." I announced pathetically. _My gosh, that sounded like a complete and utter lie… _

She stared at me with her sky blue eyes for a long – unnerving – moment before smiling faintly. It was obvious she knew that wasn't the whole truth – or even the truth at all. "I see. That's pretty smart~! You never know when detective's apprentices like you will gain enemies and such, right? And by 'Heiji-han', do you mean Hattori Heiji from Osaka?! That's so cool~! I heard he's really smart and has the intellectual knowledge to battle wits with our Heisei Holmes, Kudou Shinichi, who actually lives pretty nearby! He lives in Beika and they're apparently rivals…"

Erise continued chattering and I sighed in relief, feeling like I just dodged a bullet. I rubbed my eyes tiredly, feeling guilt swell in my chest like acid.

Today had been too long, I decided.

ooOOoo

_Sun dyed out the sky, hazed an orange-red and white flakes of snow drifted down quietly. Everything was silent, the streets of Tokyo empty, as I stood in the middle of an intersection. Warning signs stood on one end of the road and the stoplights blinked red and green and yellow, reflecting off the surprisingly chromatic pavement. A dream, I decided, feeling oddly cold and warm at the same time – another, more logical, part of my mind decided that it was just a figment of my imagination. _

_My eyes drifted to the side as I spun around in place, taking in the red-dyed scenery. Tokyo looked very unnerving this way, I decided. Which was also strange – I hadn't been to Tokyo-Tokyo yet, so how did I know how it looked? Was this just the way I would imagine it would look like? Shaking away the pointless thoughts, I paused, my sneakers scuffing against the cement. "A lucid dream, then, since I know I'm dreaming." My voice echoed out, sounding static-like, as if from a radio. Weird. _

_I sighed to myself, thoroughly unimpressed with the dream – there was nothing going on. This was getting a bit boring, really. And why was it snowing mid-summer (at least, it seemed like mid-summer)? Was my mind just that…strange? I tried to change the scenery, and the scene would flicker in-and-out before once again landing on the strange red Tokyo. I was just getting a bit agitated with it, foot tapping against the ground, before something finally happened. _

_Drawn the right for some reason, I turned, a freezing breeze ruffling through my untamed hair. I blinked. Erise stood on the other side of the intersection, looking as normal as ever – her non-red clothing made her stand stark against the background. She was dressed, oddly, in winter clothing while I was merely wearing a loose white t-shirt and jean shorts that were also, strangely, white. In fact, my whole body looked white, I realized, gazing down at my hands – they were pale and looked like they'd been frozen. Okay, this was getting a bit creepy. _

_I looked back up to Erise, who still giving me a carefree smile, looking content. Stepping forward, I raised a brow. "Erise-chan, what are you doing over there?" I asked the dream-Erise, wondering why nothing was fluctuating to my whims like in usual lucid dreams. She didn't answer, just continued smiling. I took another step, beginning to walk slowly towards her, a bit fed up with this weird dream – I was tired, even in this dream. _

_Finally, Erise moved. However, instead of walking up to me like I expected, her blue eyes blinked before looking towards a nearby alley that she was near, face surprised. I swallowed down the bad feeling I was getting and looked to the alley as well, noting a pale hand offered out to her – I sped up to a jog. "No, wait! Erise-chan, don't go with that man!" I shouted. Somehow, I knew it was a man, even though I couldn't see him completely – something just set off an alarm in my head. _

_The dream-Erise paid no heed, reaching out and grasping the offered hand and just like that, all the colors faded from her clothing and appearance, changing to a glaring dark red. A heavy, sinking, feeling settled in my chest and I sped up to a dead-sprint, wanting to get her away from the man, dream or not. _

_She slowly walked into the alleyway, following the man. I passed several street lines – all a bright white – and just as I was about to reach out and grab Erise's arm, the ground caved in with a thundering crack. My balance tipped backwards and I found myself falling down the large pit – all the red was replaced by a depressing black. _

_Despite the nightmare situation I was currently in, I sighed to myself, allowing my body to just continue falling into the nothingness. It didn't really scare me anymore – once you've experienced it in real-life, it wasn't as scary in a dream; especially if you knew it was a dream – nightmare, whatever. _

_My eyes slipped shut and the white snowflakes kept me company, chilling my skin._

_The dream didn't end._

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – Wow! Such a long review~! I love long reviews~! They make me really happy! 8DDDD (Laughs) That's good. XD I didn't want to make such a bad cliff hanger. And Heiji wants to ask… (Trails off) ((I'm so evil, lol –shot–)) XD My gosh! It sounds like you have to drive a really long way! D8 That sounds really tiring – I hate riding on buses in general, so a long ride would be torture. XD And it's okay – this case was pretty crappy. XDD I didn't work it out too long and I think I forgot a lot of details, but I don't remember them… Next original case will definitely be more thought out and with more man-power and research. XD And as for Haibara's appearance, Revolver's timeline is on Volume 14 – manga-wise – at the moment and Haibara appears in Volume 18. Volume 14 will pass in a breeze and the others, I'm not too sure… (oh, Fallen, why don't you pay more attention to things like this? XD) But, only four more volumes and then she'll be here! I'm really looking forward to that! XD (Laughs) I can see that, too! XDDDDDD And, yeah… That subject of friends and stuff will be touched more upon later on – there will also be more character development throughout the whole of the story. ^^ Conan will have a lot more to think about once Haibara gets there – I feel like her overall appearance will cause a lot more chaos than it even did in the original series with Alice/Midori there. XD And I feel sorry for Erise, too – I'm gonna put her through a lot of other things, maybe… (Thoughtful) XD And yup! Midori is very protective of her friends – that will also be touched upon more in the future! ^^ And that's cool~! That sounds like a really interesting story! 8D (Laughs) Don't worry – I read reviews all the way through. XDD I like long ones, short ones, and even ones that kind of make no sense to me. XD Or critics of the story – those are always helpful! (Nods)Wow~! So many lucky items~! 8DDD (Gathers all lucky items) (Returns Luck Hug) Thank you, Ri-chan~! **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – (Laughs) Yeah – now he's been dropped three times. XDDD He's probably cursing Midori back in Osaka – "Ah, that aho! She hung up!" or something. XDD Ah, that sucks! Hopefully, you feel better soon – or already do! 8D (Gives you Virtual Medicine and more Chicken Soup) Just in case you're not better yet. XD Ahhh – no, E-chan~! (Dashes to hide in bathroom when Shinichi comes running over) XDD (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) (Whispers) Thank you, E-chan~! (Goes back into hiding) **

**To: DDmasters – Me: (Laughs) Gin: (Evil Laughter) Conan: …. [Thank you for your review! 8D] **

**-Well, that was an unromantic ending to the case…. And not very complex either. I feel like I'm dishonoring Detective Conan. Forgive me, Gosho-sensei! I don't have your intelligent brain full of ways to murder people! (Bows Deeply) TT_TT Anyways, hope you enjoyed just a bit… XD;;; The next chapters will be a bit better – hopefully. It's the rest of the Lucid Nightmare Arc, so it'll be filled with lots of…you guessed it, nightmares! (Cackles and Disappears) XD **


	43. (LN) Chapter 43

**A/N: Well – I've been turning British apparently, so forgive me if it sounds a bit different from other chapters. XD Hopefully, it's the same and I'm just being paranoid about using big words, lol. Animal personality for OCs in the story at the bottom! 8D Enjoy? XD Also… pointless chapter is pointless. – shot – **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form (or shape!) **

Chapter Forty Three; Lucid Nightmare arc

_The red Tokyo seemed to echo out a laugh in its one-toned setting; after waking up from the last dream because I was thirsty, I'd gone back to bed. Only to get another dream. This time, Erise wasn't here, though – someone else was. My sister stood at the other side of the intersection, that pale hand once again offered out. My brows furrowed as the sinking feeling once again settled into my stomach like acid. An artificial feeling created from artificial fear – this was dream, I knew. There was no real reason to be scared – it was just something that happened when you had one; an instinctive reaction, I suppose. _

_The hand surged forward at my sister's hesitation and with a jerk, she was pulled into the alley roughly, disappearing from view as her long, black, locks dyed dark red at the touch. A muffled shout sounded before all went silent and I swallowed down the urge to go get her – the floor would probably just cave in like last time. The intersection rumbled as if an earthquake was occurring – buildings and flooring blurring to one big red mess. _

_A loud creak sounded from my left and I looked over, eyes widening in shock as a large skyscraper's setting crumbled with the force. My balance tumbled as another large shake wracked the dream-world and I fell backwards, landing on my back with surprisingly painful clarity. The building tumbled right after me, its shadow looming ever closer. _

ooOOoo

"Good morning, Kaito-niichan~!" I greeted tiredly, brushing my hair absently with my fingers. Kin trailed after my lazily, obviously just as tired as I was – I swear, sometimes her channels my emotions. I walked up to the fridge, helping myself to one of the tiny milk cartons Kaito had begun buying for convenience – grab-and-go, he'd mentioned. I fiddled with the cardboard before finally ripping it open. Drops of milk spilled over the edge and I wiped them with a finger before taking a long, cooling, drink of the white liquid.

"Good morning, Alice-chan~!" Kaito crowed, ruffling my hair as he passed me to grab from toast that had just popped out of the toaster. He bit down on one and travelled back to the table, offering the other one to me – it was burnt a bit, but I took it gratefully, with a mumbled 'thank you'. Bread hanging out of my mouth – during the morning, neither Kaito or I really cared for manners – I stood and made my way over to a cabinet underneath the counter, opening it and bending down to grab the large dry cat food bag.

It crinkled as I dragged it out of the cabinet before dropping it and going to grab Kin's plastic bowl – it had an amusing design, with ears sticking out and an drawn cat face in the bowl – and grabbing a small can before going back to the dry food, where Kin was lying down patiently. I set the bowl on the ground, poured out some dry food into the bowl, before carefully opening the can. The smell of the moist cat food made my nose scrunch up in distaste – as did the way it looked – and I gave a slight smile as I dumped it in with the dry food. Kaito and I had _no_ idea which would've been best – and I felt incredibly bad to be making him buy cat food as it was – but he'd been insistent on getting both. For 'twice the nutrition', as he'd put it. So, we'd ended up getting both and mixing them together.

Kin stood, gave me a thankful lick and snuggle, before setting to work on his nasty-looking food – sometimes, I really wondered if it even tasted _good_. Shrugging off the thought, I took another lazy bite of the toast I'd received before glancing at the clock on the stove. I sighed – looks like it was about time to go to school.

I headed to the genkan, toed on my sneakers, and put on my black randoseru – I was using Kaito's old one – and Kaito followed after me in a similar fashion; he toed on his shoes and slung his messenger bag over his shoulder. "We'll be back, Kin-chan~!" I called with a smile, getting a huff in return as he continued eating out of view. Chuckling to ourselves, we set off, turning on our separate ways as we reached the Teimuzu river bridge. Kaito disappeared around the bend of a building and I smiled contently to myself.

Carefully, I peeked out of the corner of my eye.

ooOOoo

The school was bustling with activity like usual and I herded in with the other students, making my way to my shoe locker – on a white sheet of paper taped on it, my name was pronounced: 小泉 アリス. I rolled my shoulders, sliding out of my shoes easily. I rose and opened my shoe locker, only to pause in surprise. In it was a large bouquet of flowers, looking oddly familiar. I deadpanned, feeling an amused laugh escape my lips, "Tsuburaya-kun's Yamato-damashii…,"

I hurriedly switched out my shoes, shutting my locker before anyone could see the flowers. I shuffled on my inside-shoes, catching sight of Mitsuhiko giving me a sheepish half-grin as he also switched his shoes. I rolled my eyes playfully before walking past him, chuckling.

"…obviously doesn't exist." I finished to myself, fully amused, as I headed to class.

As I arrived in class, I took my seat at my desk, relaxing into the seat and promptly ignoring what looked like Kin outside the window. I stretched absently, pulling out a notebook and a mechanical pencil. Immediately, a sloppy picture began to form as I half-heartedly put effort into imagining what I was drawing – truthfully, I didn't even know what I _was _drawing. Lines were just crossing each other by now and the sound of a chair pulling out behind me had me turning with a grin.

"Hey~ Edogawa-kun~" I droned, watching the shrunken teen take his seat before looking up at me, black-brown bangs falling into his eyes as he deadpanned at my expression. My hand twitched, ruining the connecting lines before falling back into a rhythmic pattern. "Good morning, Koizumi-san." He greeted dryly, obviously thinking it was too early in the morning for games. He never did strike me as a morning person – guess I'd pegged him right. To say I was lucky to have claimed the seat right in front of his was an understatement – all I had to do was turn to see what he was possibly doing.

"Wow, you're joyful." I laughed, "Got any plans for the weekend?" I asked curiously, feeling my eyelids droop as I let out an ungraceful yawn. He looked amused, "The weekend? It's Monday, if you haven't noticed." He gave a small chuckle, "But, no. Not yet. Do you have anything planned?" He questioned back in a similar fashion, tilting his head in a calculating way that immediately set off internal alarms. Him and his detective-ness!

"Nah, not yet. I may just hang around the house like a piece of useless furniture." I replied, sounding thoughtful. That actually sounded kind of nice, just lazing off; with Kaito, he'd usually drag me out or I'd go meet up with Erise or the Detective Boys would want to hang out, so I'd been broken out of my normal weekend chain of doing nothing. I missed that – doing nothing _all day_~! Yeah, I could dig that…

Conan snorted. "Sounds like a good plan." He commented before tacking on, peering a bit closer to my face, "And have you been getting sleep? You look exhausted."

I blinked, pausing for a moment before cracking a smirk. "Aw, are you worried~?" I mocked, dodging the question completely; I couldn't exactly tell him that I hadn't had good sleep for three days – Friday I'd been busy planning, Saturday I'd held a heist, and Sunday had come with ridiculous 'nightmares'. If they could be called that – more like annoying flies that needed to be swatted. He rolled his eyes, obviously catching how I ignored it, his eyes narrowing the slightest in interest. _Crap_.

"A-Anyways, do anything interesting this weekend?" I changed the subject, inevitably going back to something about the weekend, not being able to think of another subject quick enough. Look at me, I was a horrible liar when I'm tired, I thought with an internal laugh.

Conan raised a brow, incredulous at my weak attempt, but he went with it – out of courtesy. "Nothing much. I did meet someone incredibly insane, but that's about it." He said off-handedly, lips quirking into what looked like a vindictive smile. I shivered, goosebumps pricking at my arms at the look – he was creepy. _Too_ creepy. Shinichi was supposed to be the _good_ guy, right? Then why was he _so creepy_ in person?! …Perhaps that was just me, though? Everybody else seemed to think he was normal – albeit a bit too intelligent in his current form, but…

"Wait – someone insane?" I laughed, curious, "Isn't that usual for you? Why are you suddenly affected by one insane person?" I raised a brow and he frowned at my countenance of his fair share of…interesting criminals. Finally, he gave a small chuckle. "I'm guessing you didn't see today's paper." He mumbled to himself before continuing louder, "Yeah, I've met my fair share of interesting people, but never one who was obviously so amused with everything."

"Amused with everything?"

"Yeah. The whole time, she was grinning like a fool, wearing a tacky outfit." Wait a…

"This person is who exactly?" I asked, already feeling an ironic grin tugging at my lips. I turned my face away so he couldn't see it, glancing up to the ceiling as I continued my aimless drawing. My hand shook with restrained laughter, spiraling outwards and out of the controlled pace – the paper crinkled soundlessly. It was _kind_ of true – I _did _have the innate sense to find mostly everything amusing, but…

"Some new thief, who calls herself The Jester." He answered shortly, bored, as if he wasn't the bit interested. Which, he probably wasn't too horrible so, since thieves weren't his forte and I wasn't exactly the most interesting thief he would meet either. He'd get a lot more enthralled with KID than Jester. Probably. Hopefully. I don't know if I could handle his persistence – or soccer balls. _Ouch_! And by the look on his face from earlier – his vengeful smile – he probably has more of a grudge against Jester, er, me, than anything, for knocking him out. Which was wonderful.

Please note my sarcasm.

"Ah, I see. Well, they do say, the more one annoys someone, they more they like someone~!" I cooed, grinning like a loon. If that was true, then I must have a major love for you, Shinichi – which wasn't true. I loved him as a character, and now a person – I kinda had before, due to my attachment to my 'shows' – but I wasn't _in_ love with him. The thought of me actually being together with him or…_guh_, goodness forbid, _kissing_ him (of all people!) – it was just–a wholly _unpleasant_ thought altogether. There was just something about him that repelled me in the 'romantic interest' area.

"Well, she _did_ kiss my cheek…," He mumbled to himself, handing coming up to his chin in his classic 'thinking-pose'. As the teacher walked in, he only had a chance to say one more thing. I observed him from the corner of my eye, watching his cerulean orbs widen in what seemed like shock, "Could she – possibly be a _pedophile_?"

As class started, I tried not to die of laughter, face going red as I held it in, wanting painfully to add more fuel to the fire and to shove my head into the nearest wall (or desk). He thought I was–! _He thought I was_–!

Oh, I was gonna have _fun_ with this now~!

ooOOoo

_I was getting annoyed of the color red, I decided. The air was warm, but I felt cold at the core of my body – it was strange. Also, strangely, I found comfort in Kin; he wasn't red, but his usual dark black, twisting around my ankles as he paced. The buildings moved in on us, the intersection growing smaller and smaller until both of us were huddled in a dark, cramped, red space. I sighed to myself, shifting uncomfortably in the space, trying to make more space for Kin, as he was sitting in my lap. _

_A chord of laughter rang out and another scream sounded in the darkness – I recognized it easily enough. I closed my eyes with another sigh, feeling annoyed rather than claustrophobic at the cramped space and the noises that ensued. Another chord of laughter and I found myself wanting to laugh along, so I did. As soon as I started, the other laughter died out, as if in surprise. _

_Without much control, I couldn't help but continue my – admittedly – manic laughter, gaining an amused look from Kin. _

ooOOoo

I yawned, feeling amused as I flipped through yesterday's papers, looking at what Conan had mentioned the other day. An interview with Conan had been done about the thief Jester and his childish comments were _very_ amusing to read. He purposely left out the part where I had kissed his cheek, though – I'm kinda glad; Ran would've maimed me – er, Jester – given the chance for kissing her 'younger brother'. I shivered at the thought exaggeratedly, earning a bemused look from Akako, who was sitting at the other end of the library.

The library in Akako's house was _freakin' huge_, mind you – bookshelves dominated the surprisingly unkempt room, old books that looked like they belonged in a movie about sorcery and regular ones filed along the shelves, some even placed in careless stacks on the floor or placed on the numerous library-esque round tables around the room. The room had a very dark gothic style to it and the curtains were drawn over the tall windows, dying the sunlight a hazy purple and keeping it out of the room while artificial lighting kept the room dimly bright. It was large and I didn't even know where the end of her library was – even more impressive than the Kudou library, I knew, despite not having seen it yet in real-life.

And overdoing the Kudou's library was a feat in itself. The room gave the feel of never-ending knowledge – perhaps it didn't end, after all. Who knew?

I leaned back, done reading the details and stretched, looking up to the ceiling in thought. I grinned sharply as an idea came to mind. Since my 'guest' wasn't coming out and I probably wouldn't be getting any good sleep anytime soon – a gut feeling told me the red dreams would continue – I might as well hold another heist. It would be soon and seeing as I had yet to return my last item of…borrowing, there would _definitely _be more security. With a shrug, I hopped off the wooden chair, heading off in the direction of the gem books Akako had pointed out earlier.

I felt really tiny in this huge place in Alice's body – probably still would've if I was in my original – but I found the books easily, beginning to pull out a generous amount before going back to the table I'd sat at before; I plopped the books down with a clatter that echoed. A Cheshire grin spread across my lips as I set to work, already working out the plan in my head. Internally, at the end of my heist note, I added something extra that the police would discern to themselves, even though it wasn't.

_Come out and play, love~!_

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – YESH, MY TELEPATHY SKILLS HAVE DEVELOPED! 8DDDD **_**MWAHAHA**_**–! (Coughs) XD I'm glad I was able to update just in time~! 8D Really? Thank you so much! ^^ New readers are always much appreciated. 8D Ah, thank you. I still feel it wasn't as good as I could have made it, but like you said, writing more will help it! ^^ Oh, that sounds way cooler than the English version of it. While your version is "training makes master", ours is "practice makes perfect". XD Don't worry – your English is actually very good! ^^ And you can if you want, though, Alice/Midori won't be showing in any canon events in Volume 14, hence why it'll pass in a breeze. XDDD (Laughs) Yup, I may just do some more stuff to her… (Trails innocently) Aww, thank you! I really love your OC – Erise is a very nice character. 8D And yes! 102 review! (Laughs Evilly) I feel very accomplished to make it to 100! 8DDDD And thank you – I can't wait to write more on this arc! (more character intros, lol) (Gathers Lucky Items) Thank you, Ri-chan~! (Returns Luck Hug) **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – No problem – I'm glad you're better now! 8D (Grins as Snowflakes Fall and Eats Cyber Cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! 8D (-sweats nervously- oh shoot… -quietly climbs into ventilation system-) XDD **

**-Well, this was short-ish, but meh. XD I want to post this, since I couldn't post it yesterday (the day before yesterday? It's one here, lol) for Kaito's birthday. DX But – HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY, KUROBA KAITO! You're awesome! And – HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY, GOSHO-SENSEI! 8DDD You're, also, epic! 8DDDD On another note…**

**Okay, so for fun, I was doing The Animal In You personality tests for all non-canon characters in Revolver. I did them based on personality and outward appearance, or how people percieve them (ex: Jester). Here were the results. **

**-Alice: Otter and/or Shrew. Friendship relation with Owl (which I have pegged Shinichi/Conan as; I pegged Kaito as a Tiger, if anyone's interested): Otter - emotional peers, Shrew - unpredictable. **

**-Kin: Badger. Friendship with Alice's animals: Otter - strong bonds, Shrew - "Watch out for jealousy", lol. (More like Kinjealous of others. XD)**

**-Midori's (since they technically are different to others, all her personas will be split): Fox and/or Warthog. Friendship with Kin's animal: Fox - Fun competition, Warthog - "somewhat demanding", lol. (on whose side? XD) Friendship with Owl: Fox - intellectually compatible, Warthog - a mismatch, lol. **

**-Erise: Baboon. Friendship with Midori's animals: Fox - "a happy-go-lucky pair", Warthog - enthusiastic. (oh, they got good friendship ratings! I thought the warthog would've killed the good streak. XD) And for fun, friendship with Kin's animal: great playmates. (Would probably help if Kin wasn't such a brat. XDD) **

**-Jester (based on outer appearance): Wild Cat and/or Sea Lion. Friendship with Owl: Wild Cat - "fellow night hunters" (wow, that's...quite a coincidence. XD), Sea Lion - "courteous", lol. Friendship with Kin's animal: Wild Cat - genuine rapport, Sea Lion - "different wavelengths", lol. **

**Alice/Midori/Jester with herself, just for fun, lol: **

**-Friendship with Alice's and Jester's animals: Otter (A) and Wild Cat (J) - an inevitable clique (oh, wow, that's fitting. XD), Otter (A) and Sea Lion (J) - "your kind of pal", Shrew (A) and Wild Cat (J) - "a power imbalance", lol, Shrew (A) and Sea Lion (J) - "overly excitable", lol. **

**-Friendship with Midori's and Jester's animals: Fox (M) and Wild Cat (J) - "fellow explorers", Fox (M) and Sea Lion (J) - good pals, Warthog (M) and Wild Cat (J) - "indifferent" (lol), Warthog (M) and Sea Lion (J) - sporting buddies. **

**-Friendship with Midori's and Alice's animals: Fox (M) and Otter (A) - "be prepared to compromise" (lol), Fox (M) and Shrew (A) - "Nah!" (Laughs Forever), Warthog (M) and Otter (A) - "not from your social circle" (lol), Warthog (M) and Shrew (A) - "touch and go". (Dies of Laughter) Obviously, Alice and Midori do not mix, even if they're the same person. XD**

**-That's it! 8D To see the profiles on the animals, you can go to the Animal In You site with the personality test. They have the animals' profiles there. ^^ Thanks for reading, if you did. XD Just give some more interesting base on the characters, lol. XDD **


	44. (LN) Chapter 44

**A/N: Well, this was fun to write. Had to get back in the groove of things, but I think it turned out decently. XDDD Hope you enjoy it and it has a twist I wasn't even expecting, so…XDD Enjoy? ^^ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) **

Chapter Forty Four; Lucid Nightmare arc

"_Well, you're oddly calm about this." She chuckled, looking up at me with her childish face – my expression mirrored hers back as I tried to ignore the hyperventilation feeling welling in my chest like a hot rod stabbed through. This was strangely very creepy. I sighed to myself and rolled my eyes at myself – of all the things to be effected by…_

"_Well, I guess you can say I always knew I was a bit evil." I snickered, "Besides, we're not really the same person. You're just a figment of my imagination. In a dream. Like all the other dreams." I commented, gesturing to our red surroundings, the intersection the same as always. We stood in the middle of the road, facing each other with smirks as the silence rung in the air. _

_Alice's smile twisted upwards wickedly, an unfit expression that sent an unpleasant chill down my spine as she giggled – giggled; guh, so damn creepy... "But, you forget, Midori…," _

"_You're not the real one, either." _

ooOOoo

I blinked at the first page of the newspaper before grinning brightly to myself. Good, good – this was _good_~! Chuckling, I dropped the newspaper with a tired hand, covering a yawn, as I exited the Kuroba household once more – Kaito had already left, something about a project needed to be done; truthfully, I think he was just gonna set up some elaborate prank, but who knows? It _could_ actually be a school project. I snorted to myself, shaking my head – nah, the look on his face when he left was a dead giveaway to his plans.

Before I knew it, I was already back at school for Wednesday, sitting in the same seat as yesterday and Monday. Bored while waiting for the teacher, I turned to Conan once more, rotating in my seat to sit in it backwards. He looked like he already expected it, raising a brow in my direction with a slight smile.

"Good morning, Koizumi." He greeted courteously, eyes taking in my appearance swiftly. He frowned lightly, but I ignored it. "Morning, Edogawa-kun~!" I hummed back, leaning forward a bit to rest my chin on the edge of his desk. I looked up at him, gaining a bemused look from the bespectacled not-child. We stared at each other for a moment or two before I cracked a grin. "So, did you see the papers? Apparently, that crazy person is going to hold another heist~!" I crowed, interested in his reaction.

He sighed in exasperation. "I saw." He droned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Despite her wanting a 'playmate', I won't be able to come and 'play', since she didn't even mention the day her heist would be held." He snorted, amused. I blinked in surprise. She forgot to–? "H-Huh? Wasn't it in the note?" I asked hurriedly before backtracking, "Wait – you already solved her heist note?" That was _fast_….

He grinned in his knowing way. "Yeah, it was easy enough. She probably didn't even try this time." He gave a small chuckle that sounded a bit mocking. My brow twitched in irritation. Well, _sorry_ if I was too tired to come up with something somewhat complicated, I internally grumbled. "She primarily focused on making things rhyme this time." I hummed, leaning forward, "So, what do you mean she didn't mentioned the day the heist would be held?" I tried to conceal the slightly worried undertone. Had I really forgotten that? If so, that was _sad_.

He stared at me for a moment with a calculating face that disappeared just as quickly behind a façade. "The note went:

_We have them all - a Gary, a Russell, a Jia, and Ding. If you bring them fuchsia, they're all fantastic things!_

_Perhaps I'm not Sirius, but I do have the shape and my friendly 'black' will 'swoop' at eleven's break._

_She'll take me away, she won't let me break, and if you get lucky, she won't make you wait - she calls to her friend, a stalker shall be, who has been following her like she has been me._

_"Come out and play, love~!" she calls to you now - don't take it as taunt, more like a drawl, and perhaps we shall have a little brawl._"

He quoted word-for-word from memory, closing his eyes as his head nodded to the slight rhythm the whole note had.

I deadpanned at his show of memory, biting back the sarcastic retort forming on my lips as I watched him open his eyes again to grin at me. "Her target is the Delong Star Ruby – the names she mentions are all famous people with the last name DeLong, and the gem itself is fuchsia. Sirius is the brightest star, which is pointing to the star-like mark on the ruby." He explained in a bored tone that I couldn't bother to be too irritated with as I gave a jaw-cracking yawn behind my hand.

"Eleven's break most likely refers to 11 PM – she didn't exactly add anything too explanatory about that. And throughout the note, she didn't mention the day. But, she did spend a lot of time mentioning that 'stalker' of hers to come and play." He hummed, bringing a hand to his chin as he again looked to me with a raised brow, "She was probably talking about someone else. Perhaps an acquaintance?"

I shrugged at his questioning tone, "Hell if I know." I answered in a drone before backtracking, face flushing at my unintended curse word. He smirked in amusement, not bothered by it. Almost instantly, though, he frowned again in concern, bringing a hand up to my face. I blinked at the gentle touch of him tracing the bags under my eyes as he peered closer in worry. "But, really, Koizumi." He switched the subject, frown deepening, "Why haven't you been getting sleep?"

I snickered at his concern, grinning in a way that had his hand retreating slightly to his side. "I'm fine, Edogawa-kun~! Really, you being concerned is so–" I began, only to get cut off by his sharp tone as he shot me a glare. "Don't dodge the question. And don't pretend you're fine – you've been even less attentive in class than usually and have been going home on your own." His voice had deepened in a semblance of maturity.

A sigh escaped me, knowing that there was no way that I'd be getting out of this now that he was bothering to be serious about it. "I've been having nightmares at night. They won't go away." I gave in, rolling my eyes, snorting in amusement with myself.

His brow furrowed in concern as he brought his hand back down to the desk completely. "Nightmares, Koizumi? You didn't even have nightmares after being choked half-to-death." Conan commented, eyes narrowing as his mind began to work. After a moment, he spoke again. "You didn't watch a scary movie recently, did you?"

I chuckled to myself as I turned back to the front as the teacher walked in. I was quick to shoot off a parting blow, "Oh, yes, Edogawa-kun." I chuckled, "I totally watch _Hitori Kakurenbo*_ in my free time." My tone was so dryly sarcastic that it almost burned on my tongue – I was definitely cranky from lack of sleep, I mused.

I heard Conan choke behind me with a repressed snicker.

ooOOoo

"An acquaintance, huh?" I mused, nailing in a post to the inside of the safe room in The Den beside the chalkboard and whiteboard. I dropped the hammer onto the mahogany desk, pulling up the dartboard to hang it up on the nail. It swung briefly before settling into place and I grinned at it before swiveling on my heel and turning towards the bookshelf. I had stacked every book in alphabetical order, making searching for a certain book easier and left a good amount of space left at the very bottom of the shelving. I crouched down to look in that certain niche of the shelf.

The card gun Agasa had made for me sat at the bottom, surrounded by little trinkets and some makeup I had borrowed from the large makeup kit under Chikage's sink – just eye shadow to hide the space between my eyes and the mask. I hadn't done it last time, but seemed like a good idea to, just for insurance. I was just tapping my fingers absently across the wood when the shrill ring of my phone rang out. I flinched in surprise before pulling out my black mobile, flipping it open with a happy, "Hello~?"

There was a pause of silence and I blinked, wondering if it had been a silent call. "Hello?" I asked again before hearing something shift on the other side – it sounded like fabric, going by ear. Finally, the other spoke up, "_You're not gonna hang up this time, are ya?_" It was said very dryly and I gave a laugh as I recognized the voice.

"Heiji-han~! It's nice to hear from you again. Sorry for before – I was busy." I snickered, standing from my crouch and heading out of the safe room and to the kitchen. I reached up, balancing my phone between my shoulder and cheek, and opened the cabinets, pulling out a glass that looked like it had seen better days. I grimaced, twisting the faucet on and beginning to wash the dirtied cup halfheartedly. The water fell down, swirling down the drain, now stained a murky brown. _Eww_…

Heiji seemed unimpressed with my 'excuse', but went on, either way. "_Anyway, how did the case pan out for ya?_" He questioned, moving on and now sounding as cheerful as he usually did. "Eh, it was fine, I guess. My friend, who was framed, was let off the hook, so…," I shrugged, not knowing how to continue. I twisted the faucet off and moved the dripping glass in an absent twirl as I reached for a clean towel to dry it off. I gave a hum to signify I didn't know where I was going with that sentence, earning a laugh.

"_That's good, Midori-han!_" I could imagine him patting my back, had I been next to him. "_By the way, where are ya right now?_"

I paused for second, eyes narrowing carefully. Where was he going with this…? "Um, I'm at home right now. …why do you ask?" I inquired, toweling off the glass, frowning to myself as I stared out the tiny window, as if it would show me the answers to the world; the only thing outside were a couple crows perched in a tree just out of the clearing circle.

"_I was just wondering._" He hummed and there was a knowing tone that had me on edge, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end uncomfortably. "_By the way, Midori-han, I've been curious. Throughout the conversation we had while on our way to the Holmes gathering, you never mentioned from exactly where in Osaka you lived._ _Where are ya from? Maybe we're close._"

I swallowed thickly, mind churning swiftly. Heiji had found me in Hirakata-shi, so he probably lived somewhere near there, right? So, I have to say somewhere decently far from there, just so he doesn't get any ideas of coming to visit. I blinked. A slow smirk spread across my face. Better yet…

"Actually, I'm _from_ Osaka, but I live in Tokyo now. My mother, who's from America, still isn't too accustomed to Osaka-ben, so she thought living here in Tokyo would be better, since they speak standard Japanese, ya know?" I laughed a bit nervously. Hopefully, that worked. "_Oh~_" He hummed, "_Where in Tokyo do you live? Near Kudou?_"

"Ah, I'm not sure. I live in Tachikawa-shi, though." I didn't even really know where Tachikawa-shi was, but I knew it was real place – was I anywhere near it? Who knows. I fumbled with the glass before turning on the water again and letting it run for a while before putting the cup underneath the catch the flow. Most people would never drink out of the tap, but meh. I didn't really care – a little dirt isn't going to kill me, after all, right? "_Tachikawa-shi, huh..?_" He trailed into silence and I drank down my water while waiting for him to talk again. It tasted good.

After a few minutes of silence, Heiji chuckled and I stiffened at the sound – it sounded very, very _knowing_. "_Hey, Midori-han, I know you've been hiding something, but you seem to lie about a lot of things. You got picked up and dropped off near where Kudou got off. Tachikawa-shi is not even close to there and even though someone was picking you up, what was the point of getting off there exactly? Also, the car headed in the opposite direction than Tachikawa-shi._" I was about to cut him off, but he beat me to the punch.

"_Also, when I first saw you, I knew you looked familiar from somewhere, but I couldn't pinpoint it. I remember now – there was a little girl who looked eerily similar to you. I wasn't too bothered by it before, since I knew people shrinking was impossible – back then, anyways – but now that I think about it, the girl was in oversized clothes and was very shaky. She said she was three and you're thirteen. Kudou was de-aged ten years and is now seven when he's supposed to be seventeen. It's not too farfetched to believe that you, of thirteen years, were de-aged to a three year old._" My disguise was being picked apart slowly by one Hattori Heiji and I knew there was nothing I could do to stop him now that he was on a roll. Suddenly, I felt very dizzy.

I dropped my now-empty glass into the sink for later cleaning before dragging myself back through the main room and back to the safe room, where I promptly sunk into the computer chair behind the desk. Heiji just continued on, "_And your reaction to Kudou being shrunken wasn't surprised, but more amused, as if you saw it coming from a mile away._" Of course I had – what kind of fan would I be if I didn't know Edogawa Conan was a shrunken Kudou Shinichi? "_It even took me two times meeting him to catch on to his act, but from the beginning you knew, didn't you?_"

The line fell silent as he waited for me to process the information he'd literally just baseball-pitched at my face at high speed. I felt like I'd just been hit in the face with one, too – I was too tired for this crap, really. I should have known Heiji would be a bad idea…

"Okay, okay – you got me." I chuckled after a long sigh. A hand ran down my face as I felt a headache coming on. "Yes, I was shrunken, as well. I should've expected you to find out, but I didn't expect it so…_soon_. Am I really that _bad_ of a liar?"

"_Not really – in fact, you're a lot better than Kudou, but there was something about you that struck me as…odd. I dunno how to explain it, but you gave me a weird sense that you were…different." _I could imagine him shrugging over the line. My brows furrowed – now that I thought about it, Erise had said something like that as well. What was it again…it was… 'It's not anything bad, but you tend to give off the vibe of someone on a whole different level than the rest of us.'. Huh. What was with _that_? Before, it had been a passing amusement at the statement, but now it was two people who had said almost the _same thing_…

It was somehow unnerving.

But there was also the fact that Heiji always was more…aware of when things were about to happen – like when Shinichi gets stabbed later on – and so, maybe, just maybe, Erise was also hyper-aware of things like that. Some type of supernatural…_insight_, perhaps. Still, it didn't make the goosebumps on my arm disappear or crawling feeling of uneasiness from gathering in my chest. In a fit of paranoia, I stood sharply and clicked the door closed in the safe room, breaking the dim stream of light, basking in the darkness of the room. I automatically went back to my chair to relax into the comfortable leather.

"_But, after some contemplation, I figured you're probably the same as Kudou._" He sounded smug – _damn him_. I wet my chapped lips in frustration at the situation, grabbing a dart from the desk and fiddling with it. "I see…," I trailed, not sure what to say. What does one say in this type of situation, anyways? I yawned, slumping farther into my seat. If he didn't say something soon, I'd fall asleep over the line.

Just as my eyes were drooping, he spoke up again. "…_Does Kudou know_?" His tone was anticipating and the grin was practically tangible.

I grinned myself, feeling a laugh bubbling in my throat. "Nope~! I'd like to keep it a secret, too – so, please don't tell him, Heiji-han." I paused before tacking on with a playful laugh, "I want to see how long it takes him to figure it out." Heiji gave a laugh that sounded just the same as mine – cheerful and happy and maybe a little bit (hah, who was I trying to kid – _definitely_) conniving at the thought of keeping the Heisei Holmes in the dark.

"Either way, welcome to the small group of people that know that I've been shrunken." I chimed, putting the dart back on the desk and instead opening the drawers of the desk to find something new to fiddle with. I blinked at the expanse of emptiness in the drawers, like an endless black pit. What the…?

"_Hm? How many people know ya turned chibi?_" He questioned, interested. My eyes went up in thought. Now that I think about it…, "Well, actually, it's only you and an…ally of mine." I answered, not knowing exactly _what_ to call Akako – had I gave Heiji the name _Koizumi _Midori, she would have been my 'sister' (or, as I had told Erise, her 'cousin'), but Watanabe Midori supposedly didn't have a connection to her. I guess I could say they were friends or something and… My hand came up to smack my forehead roughly. Did it even _matter_? It's not _that _strange for two people to know each other. Plus, it was _Akako_ – nobody was quite sure with her.

"_An ally?_" He chuckled at my choice of words, but didn't comment further on it. Not like I was gonna tell him more even if he asked. The mahogany wood of the desk clacked together soundlessly as I closed it, deciding it was best not to prod with the void space that was the inside. There was another short bout of silence (distantly, I could hear the signal fizzle as Heiji turned his attention to someone on his side of the line) and I occupied myself by pulling out my DC notes notebook from my messenger bag. I flipped it open, the pages crinkling as they turned.

Black ink marred the perfect white as my messy handwriting stained several pages. Nibbling on my lower lip, I brandished a red pen, reaching the page of the incident with Tequila. Finally, Heiji came back, "_Sorry 'bout that – there's an aho over here who doesn't know the meaning of privacy._" He grumbled, but it sounded fond – Kazuha, then. "And you do?" Ignoring the ensuing protesting, I went on, "I'm beginning to think you detectives all like to know _everything_~!" It was the truth, he couldn't deny.

He spluttered out a few choice words as I laughed, beginning to pen out a big red _L _on the page the case began. "Besides, since you're the first to normally figure me out–" Akako totally didn't count since she was magically inclined. "–I guess that means you've got a knack for sniffing out people in disguise." He quieted down at the compliment.

"Hmph, just goes ta show that the West is better than the East." He took the time to boast, even if there was no real point in trying to get a one-up on Shinichi at the moment. I grinned down at my _L _before flipping the pages to get to a blank one and beginning a new entry with the black pen I had swapped out with the red – my hand etched out _October_ in the corner, not bothering with the day.

"Yes, yes, you're the better detective." I rolled my eyes fondly, chuckling, "Man, before you found out, I should've gave you a million Jägerbombs and sent you on your merry way home on that bike of yours." I joked, earning another carefree laugh from Heiji. "_By the way, how'd you get involved with those men in black? Kudou said he'd made a rookie mistake with the partner, but you're not a detective._" Ah, there was that suspicious undertone~!

"Actually, I made absolutely no mistakes. I just ran into them while they were creating a suicide scene. Didn't get the glory of going down in a blaze of gunpowder and lead, but instead got the glory of being a living poison fountain." A sharp smirk butchered the serious tone I was trying to keep and I knew he heard it, judging by the amused snort he gave at the end of my 'dramatic' tale. A weight lifted from my chest as I realized Heiji was a _good _person to be the first person to know – he was a friend and I trusted him with my life. I sagged in my seat, feeling tiredness hammer into me after I completely relaxed, adrenaline long gone. My hand drew an ugly line across the page as I finished the last sentence of the entry.

"_That's, well…,_" He trailed, not knowing how to put it.

"Uneventful?" I offered.

"_Nah, I was gonna say unlucky, but it seemed rude._" Heiji laughed.

A deadpan expression settled on my face as I stood, stretching slightly and heading out of the safe room into the orange light that was pouring into The Den's main room. The light assaulted my eyes and I shut them with a groan, feeling the ground sway underneath me as a bout of tiredness swept through my body. I took two steps back before regaining balance. "_Hey, you okay?_" Heiji asked over the line, tone a bit worried, "_Are you turning back? Kudou said that he hadn't found a solid way to turn back, but you were stable in your body, so you probably found a way…?_"

"Heiji-han, don't worry. I'm not turning back. And of course I have a solid way~! But, it's a trade secret – it wouldn't work for Kudou-han." I chuckled. If magic worked for Shinichi, it'd mean he were possibly magically inclined – and I'm sure everyone knows that the Heisei Holmes would deny it _completely_. The thought was definitely very hilarious, though. Kudou Shinichi, the magically inclined detective – who, by the way, is incredibly logical and doesn't acknowledge said magic! It sounded like the title for an interesting story, either way.

"_Then what's wrong?_" He still sounded worried.

"I'm just tired, Heiji-han. I should probably get some sleep – it's been a long day." (More like week, I added under my breath) And I still hadn't gotten any planning for the up-and-coming heist which would be sometime this weekend. Now, I didn't have to stick to the appointed day since I had dumbly forgot to put which day – it gave me an edge, though. How can you plan for something when you don't know when it will happen, right? It's not like they could guard the building twenty-four-seven, right? Another jaw-splitting yawn erupted from my mouth.

He chuckled, but it sounded worried. "_Okay, then. I guess I should let ya go. Night, Midori-han – get some sleep, you sound exhausted._" With that, the phone clicked off and I stood there for a minute before finally taking it from my shoulder and shutting it as I was met with the dial tone. He sounded like Conan. I glanced around for a minute, eyes suddenly unfocused, before I headed back into the safe room, gathering my notebook and things back into my bag, hiding them underneath the blue scarf I'd need soon, since fall was finally beginning to get chilly.

Grabbing the dart left on the desk, I turned to the dartboard, sticking it into the center of the bull's-eye. "Not an acquaintance." I finished from my earlier thought, "More like a very annoying pest that needs to be dealt with." I sighed with a small grin, shouldering my back and beginning out of The Den, cold air caressing my skin as I stepped out. The trees surrounding the old building finally fit the season, the leaves colored and dried up on the ground as some leaves clung to bare branches.

I shivered, beginning the long trek home and to a nearby public bathroom where I could change back into Alice before going back to the Kuroba household. Judging by the light, I'd make it home just in time for dinner – dinner with Kaito tended to be decently late, especially if Aoko wasn't cooking; curry was easy to make and sometimes we'd just have microwavable meals. I smiled to myself, peeking out of the corner of my eye as I continued on the way out of the Ekoda forest.

ooOOoo

He was watching her again – he couldn't get enough of her interesting show. She skittered across the forest with a drowsy step, barely avoiding tripping as she started as a squirrel intercepted her path for a moment. He chuckled deep in his throat before frowning, noticing the tired drooping of her eyes – she looked like she wouldn't make it back to the place she was living with that _boy_ (his mind hissed at the thought – that _boy_, he'd need to take care of).

His Columbian eyes trailed after her coldly and watched as she entered a public bathroom. He knew he should continue – had to continue. Fears of a human-laden mind were interesting dessert on his inhuman tongue – buried behind his frown, he smirked derisively to himself.

"One night." He decided absently (worried or not worried, he couldn't decide; a more inhuman part of his mind decided he didn't give a crap), "Then the search continues."

ooOOoo

I stumbled out of the public bathroom, feeling even more exhausted then before. Perhaps changing today was a bad idea – the sidewalk wouldn't focus in my eyes and I couldn't keep my proper footing. Thinking about it, I noted with some bemusement that I probably looked like a drunken elementary student. I chuckled, finally making it to the block Kaito's house was on. Finally – this walk had never seemed so long before, but then again, I hadn't gotten sleep in a long time. A century, it felt like. For someone like me, who was dependent on their minds to get them through the day, four days (was it really only _four days_? It seemed a lot longer) of no sleep left me unbalanced.

A cold wind had me chilled to the bone and my sleep-lagged body forced to stay awake as black dots filled my vision, begging for sleep. Kaito's house came into view just a few houses away and I hurried, feeling the dredges of unconsciousness bite into my mind. And it was very tempting – but I had to get back home _first_. _Then_ – and only then – I could pass out. My jaw clenched in determination and I was on the doorstep of the house when my legs decided to not cooperate.

The world tipped in my vision and I fell to the concrete, glad that the impact wasn't too hard due to my lack of height. I struggled for a minute before relaxing as the door opened a crack and I saw the familiar sneakers that Kaito wore. I sighed, surrendering to sleep, black invading everything instantly as Kaito's shout of 'Alice-chan!' faded out. Oh well, it could be dealt with later – right now, the only thing I wanted was sleep.

And sleep I got.

ooOOoo

_Red outlines of buildings towered over and the red sky shined down gently, snow falling down comfortingly to the already snow-covered ground. Midori's curled form in the middle of the intersection was easy to spot as her dream-self slept peacefully. A figure stepped beside her, shoes crunching into the ground. _

"_What's real and what's an illusion, child?" He questioned, almost gently, as he reached out a hand to brush Midori's bangs from her face. "You already know, but it's caught up with you." _

_The girl shifted at his touch, brows furring the slightest before she curled closer into herself to get into a more comfortable position. He smirked darkly and patted her head once before lifting it to rest on his knee. "Enjoy it while it lasts – I still have more tests to continue." Slowly, the red world faded away at his words, blending into a much more dream-like scenery involving kids playing in the snow far away from the two of them. As if feeling the difference, Midori's tense shoulders relaxed. _

_And just for the night, the red world disappeared. _

**Review Replies:**

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – (Laughs) Yes! He does, he does! XDDDDD I thought it'd be funny, lol! And cool~! I love animal personality tests~! They're always so fun to do! o^^o I always have the same reaction you do, lol. XD And thank you, E-chan! (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Me: ….(Ducks head in embarrassed shame) (Crawls into mortified hole) I've been fooled… (Fake Crying) Real Shinichi: You should've seen that coming, Lui-san. (Rolls Eyes) Me: (Glares) Meanie! And Kaito – I'll get revenge! (Shakes Fist) (Silences) (Evil Snickers) XD**

**To: kittyfinatic515 – I'm excited for the next heist, too! 8D Thank you so much – here's the next chapter! ^^ **

**To: Iriss-sama – Yup, we've gotta love it! 8D Telepathy is cool. XD And it's okay! ^^ Here's more~! (Happily Presents) And nightmares are….(Dracula Cape Movement) nightmares~! Mwahahaha~! XDD And Kaitou KID wil be showing up very soon~! (Grins – dodges details) And I know, right?! I'm really curious as to what the bet is! It's so cool that Makoto and KID are finally in the same chapters! 8O Can't wait for the next chapter, too, but we'll have to wait strong! ('cause that's what we both get for reading online, lol. XD) And your translation didn't suck – truthfully, I think the Norwegian version is cooler than ours. XDD Ours sounds lame while yours sounds… more epic, I guess. (not the words I was looking for, but meh. XD) And thank you! (Gathers Luck) (Returns Lucky Hug) Thank you, again, Ri-chan~! **

**-well, that was unexpectedly longish. XD And now someone knows, lol. Wasn't planning it, but it happened and I'm sticking with it! XDDDD Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter may be delayed due to edits being made to the timeline throughout older chapters. If you noticed, it's October now, but I definitely put it was March in older chapters. That's due to a flup I made with the timeline and a recent case said it's fall already and she's only been there, for, like three or four months, give or take. So, yeah… My mistake. (Face Palm) So, I'll be editing that and stuff. (Nods) Thank you for reading! 8D **

**Notes;**

_**Hitori Kakurenbo**_** – Hitori Kakurenbo (translated as one man hide-and-seek) is a game you play by putting a demon – by game-play ritual which actually has real witchcraft background – into a stuffed animal and playing hide-and-seek with it. Basically, it's a **_**bad idea**_**. (please don't try it) People have gone missing or have been murdered after playing this game and it's, apparently, a **_**popular**_** game in Japan (and whoever decided to make it into a game – shame on you!). It has a movie based on it, which is what Alice was referring to here. **

"**Man, before you found out, I should've gave you a million Jägerbombs and sent you on your merry way home on that bike of yours." – this line is a big fat joke. Jägerbombs is basically dropping a shot of Jägermeister (an alcoholic drink) into a glass of energy drink (used to be beer, but it's changed with time). Due to the energy drink making you feel like you're not as smashed as you really are, it causes a lot of car accidents and the such, since the driver's didn't feel drunk. She's basically saying that she should've given Heiji the false impression of attentiveness even though he was drunk and making him go off to crash on his motorbike. It's just a joke, though, don't worry, lol. **


	45. (LN) Chapter 45

**A/N: Yay~! Lots of research was done for this chapter, but it was worth it~! XDDD This was super fun to write and I hope you have fun reading it~! Since its chapter forty-five (woo!), I thought I'd do something special and have now overloaded you with Koizumis. More to come next chapter, too~! Enjoy~? o^^o **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) **

Chapter Forty Five; Lucid Nightmare arc

I groaned as consciousness invaded my senses, making me all too aware of the irritating strip of sunlight pouring over my face from, what I assumed was, my window. Despite being annoyed that my sleep had been interrupted, I felt very refreshed from my deep sleep. No dreams, as I could remember – just absolute peace. It was very nice and I felt completely refreshed. My eyes blinked open drowsily before snapping open as I spotted the time on the clock – 2:30 PM. I was _freakin' late_ to _school_!

I bolted out of my bed quickly before tumbling to the floor painfully as my leg got caught in my sheets, a black blur dashing away just in time before I accidently squished him. I sighed to myself, pushing off the ground slowly to relieve my face of being pushed into the carpet. There was a loud rush of footsteps bolting up the stairs and, before I knew it, Kaito had busted my door open – which banged loudly against the wall – before spotting me on the ground. He rushed over, expression concerned. And considering that I'd passed out in front of him yesterday, it was a given. I internally smacked my face at the stupidity of actually _passing out_ from _lack of sleep_. It was kind of a blow to my pride.

"Alice-chan, are you alright?" Kaito asked, picking me from my crawl-position on the floor and hauling me back onto the bed gently. His brows furrowed when I nodded soundlessly, rubbing sleep from my eyes. He brought his hand up to cup my forehead after pushing away my bangs. He sighed in relief, quirking a smile. "It seems your fever went down. That's good."

I blinked curiously. I had had a fever yesterday? Well, _that_ explains why I passed out – another stab at my pride. "Kaito-niichan, aren't we supposed to be at school?" I asked quickly as I remembered the subject of school. He raised a brow with a grin, "I can't send you to school when you passed out due to a fever. And I couldn't leave you alone, so I skipped." He chuckled, sounding more than a little appreciative to have the excuse to avoid school. It was my turn to raise a brow, but he was already turning to walk out the door of my room.

"By the way, Akako told me that she'll watch over you tomorrow. I can only manage today, since I've skipped school a lot in the past and if I skip anymore, I'll be held back." He laughed, turning to give me a sheepish look. "Wait, you're not gonna let me go to school tomorrow? But tomorrow's Friday!" I protested. I had a kanji test on Friday and I didn't exactly want to miss it and I probably already had quite a few pieces of missed work that would need to be finished over the weekend. _Guh…_

There goes my free weekend.

Internally waving my weekend goodbye mournfully, I watched Kaito as he shifted into a stance I recognized from when my mother would scold me about skipping school. "Alice-chan, you _collapsed_. You need to _rest_, not worry about your kanji test." He scolded lightly and I flushed at the accusation. He knew me too well by now…

"Okay…," I conceded hesitantly, biting my lip as I refrained from whining some more. He had missed school to take care of me, after all, and was still letting me stay at his place. He was practically my savior in this place, as by no means would I ever live with Conan. _Ever_. Can you _imagine_ how many cases I would probably get dragged in? I mean, so far, I've been through a few by being his _friend_, but _living_ with him? That would be like living with my own personal shinigami. No thanks.

He brightened immediately, going back to a casual pose. "There we go!" He cheered at the compliance, "I'll be right back. I'm going to go make you some soup." He announced, already on his way out before I could protest the offer. I rolled my eyes fondly, falling back onto the bed, Kin coming back up from the bed where he'd jumped away at my earlier stumble. He sent me a sour look for almost squishing him earlier before settling on my neck comfortably, now his usual spot of choice when we went to sleep. At first it had felt like I'd suffocate during the night, but now it was just a normal thing, even if his fur tickled my chin.

"Sorry about earlier, Kin-chan…," I trailed with a chuckle, easily gaining his forgiveness when he licked my collarbone as I began smoothing out the fur on his ears. I shifted, eyes darting to the window sharply before I relaxed. That was when something else came to mind.

Hattori Heiji had actually sniffed me out yesterday.

I groaned, frowning to myself as I slung an arm over my eyes in 'woe'. Having Heiji know about my shrunken-ness wasn't exactly a problem, but that certain thing will lead to other questions if he continues to dig into my life. And if there was anything else that he would figure out, it would be that Watanabe Midori didn't _exist_ or, worse, that I wasn't from this dimension. That would inevitably cause more problems and then there was the slight chance that Heiji would meet up with 'Kaitou Jester' and then would unravel my identity from there, too…

Detectives were pests, I decided with a heavy sigh, but they were also helpful. Maybe I could consult Heiji if he figured out about the dimension thing and he'll help me get back home? Or maybe…

Shaking my head, I ignored the thoughts, sitting back up and maneuvering Kin to my lap gently as Kaito came back in with a bowl of warm chicken soup on a tray. "Here you go! Eat up~!" He chimed happily. "Thank you, Kaito-niichan." I murmured, clapping my hands together once with a small whisper of 'thank you for this meal'. He chuckled, ruffling my hair in good nature before heading back out the door with a 'you're welcome~!'. I stared down at the soup blankly for a moment before picking up the spoon and dipping it in the broth.

It was warm.

ooOOoo

"You collapsed." Akako giggled creepily as she walked in Friday morning, just as Kaito had left the house, "Sometimes I think you're a strong person, and other times, you make it your job to prove me wrong. So, which is it, Alice?" She questioned in a mysterious tone as she took a delicate seat on the couch beside me. I looked up at her with an offended scowl before blinking in interest. Akako's usually loose hair was now placed in an elegant bun, some strands that had been missed framing her face as a chrysanthemum decoration highlighted her deep red hair prettily.

"Is there a special occasion or something?" I questioned as I realized that, for the first time since knowing her, Akako was wearing a light amount of makeup – gloss shined on her lips and eyeliner brightened her fiery eyes. It was strange, especially since Akako didn't _need_ makeup, let alone _think _she need it, either. She smirked at me derisively, like she knew something I didn't. Which, she probably knew plenty more, but let's not dwell on that.

"Today is October 31st." She stated, as if that explained everything. My eyes widened in question, beckoning her on as I swung my legs absently. She sighed lightly as she rolled her eyes in annoyance at my lack of knowledge. "For most witches, especially my family, our New Year is on All Hallows' Evening instead of at the beginning of the actual year." She explained with a hint of exasperation in her tone. I stuck my tongue out in retaliation for a brief moment before smiling.

"So, you're dressed up for Halloween?" I chuckled, feeling more than a little amused at the query. She raised a delicate brow at my immature question before nodding all the same. "Yes, the Koizumi Clan has a gathering every year in celebration. Though, sometimes, it's a hassle to make the effort to go and see those imbeciles." She gave a small laugh that sent shivers down my spine uncomfortably. It seems like she really doesn't like some of her family members…

"I-I see…," I trailed, not really knowing how to respond before something occurred to me, "Oh, were you supposed to go there early? I'm sorry. You didn't have to watch over me. I could've taken care of myself, without Kaito-niichan knowing, you know." I apologized, feeling a bit bad for holding her back from seeing her family. Even if she didn't like those 'imbeciles', it's always nice to see your family if you haven't seen them in a while. Her smirk grew amused at my apology and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, feeling like she was plotting something.

"Actually, we're supposed to meet later, at about ten." Akako said before standing up from the couch already. "In fact, the reason I came here to watch you was to see if you would like to join me. If I have to endure another of my family's reunions, I might as well drag you down with me. Besides," She cooed as she watched my face pale, "My father has been meaning to meet you, as well as some others."

_Akako's family_? "U-Uh, I think I'll pass – I mean, this is a _family_ event and I wouldn't want to _intrude_, you know?" I rushed out nervously. If Akako was still creepy after knowing her for so long – and she'd probably always be a little creepy – then going to see her family was a little… Well, it was a scary thought, to put it bluntly. Who knows what kind of people would be there, right? I shivered at the scary thought.

"You forget, Alice. You're a Koizumi now. And you, technically, are dimensionally related to us, even if you hadn't taken our last name." Akako quickly picked up the pieces, determined to get me to go with her. "Besides, my father won't mind and I'm sure no one else will, either. Minoru-kun has been curious about you, either way, so you'll have someone to talk to. He's fifteen, only two years older than you." She added, as if it was some type of bribery. And then came the thing that really caught my attention, "And onii-sama will be pleased to see me bring a guest for a change."

"'Onii-sama'?" I asked incredulously, "You have an _older brother_?"

She glanced at me from the corner of her eyes and by the look, I realized I was caught. Her mouth quirked up as she brought a hand up to her cheek, nodding. "Yes. Would you like to meet him?" She questioned slyly and the look on her face was sinister. I hesitated a moment, but curiosity got the better of me. Against my better judgment, I nodded slightly.

And as Akako _grinned_, I immediately regretted my decision, suddenly feeling very scared for my future. She nodded decidedly, hitching her bag up her shoulder a bit before heading to the front door and slipping on her shoes easily. I followed behind a lot slower than I usually would have, frowning. "Where are we going?" Although I had questioned it, I still slipped on my sneakers, Kin following alongside me leisurely. She sent me an absent glance as we headed out into the chilly weather of fall. "Well, do you have a kimono?" She inquired.

I raised a brow, "No, I'm from the US, remember? Why?"

"Despite it being a 'family reunion' of sorts, it's a formal celebration. All woman are required to come in kimono while men are required to come in suits." She explained, not looking bothered by the weather at all in her slight clothing of a skirt and short-sleeved shirt. "That's…weird. Usually family reunions are casual." I intoned before I could stop my mouth and I found myself blushing in embarrassment at having somewhat insulted her family's tradition. "Er, sorry."

She gave a bell-like laugh. "It's no problem, _dear_. The only _real_ reason its formal is because the head of the clan is there and another elder." Well, that made sense, I guess. Being respectful and all was a given in the face of the head of the clan and elders. A thought occurred to me as we turned the corner off of Kaito's street, heading in the direction of Ekoda's shopping district. "Wait, you're going to get me a kimono?" My brows furrowed in disbelief.

"Yes, though I'd prefer it if you came as Midori instead of Alice. I don't particularly feel like explaining to my family that you were shrunken by some mysterious organization. They tend to jump to conclusions…," She sighed, once again sounding exasperated. I raised an amused brow, "I see."

The shopping district came into sight and Akako guided me over to a public bathroom where I could change into Midori, clothes that the witch had dug from her bag shoved into my arms before she left me to change. I quirked a half-smile. What had I gotten myself into?

I was going to spend _Halloween_ with an _actual _coven of witches/warlocks.

ooOOoo

"A-Akako-neesan…," I trailed uncomfortably, staring at myself in the full-length mirror. After battling to put on the kimono properly – I eventually just asked for assistance (my pride was almost nonexistence by the point I tied the sash with the bow in the front and Akako had kindly informed me that traditionally, a bow in the front signals that you're a prostitute) – I had finally managed to get it on. And I looked _weird_. The kimono was beautiful, a light pink with cherry blossom designs delicately trailing down the left shoulder and under the waistline secured with a decorative sash, but…I still looked _weird_.

Awkward, more like it. The pink clashed strangely with my hair and skin color and it looked a bit too _feminine_ on me, for some reason. I frowned deeply as I stared at Akako's face through the reflection. She looked like she wanted to _laugh_, damn her.

"I…," She began before looking away politely as she swallowed her laughter. "I think you'd look…better in a different color." She finally managed, smirking behind her hand. I rolled my eyes, nodding in grudging agreement before heading back into the changing stall of the small shop.

I came out again in a different kimono, this one a light blue that had scenic views of the sunset trailing down the shoulder and down at the hem of the fabric. I glanced into the mirror again, turning slightly to see if the angle made it look any better. This time, Akako couldn't stop the shrill laugh that escaped from her lips, thoroughly amused with how I looked in the clothing. My face turned red in embarrassment, "I-It's not my fault! I'm American! I'm not _supposed_ to where this type of clothing! We can't pull it off like you guys." I grumped, already heading back into the stall to change back into the western clothes Akako had given me and ditch the witch.

She could go see her family _alone_, for all I care. I could always figure out about her brother later.

"Wait a second!" Akako called out once she subsided her laughter and she rushed over before I could shut the door on her. "Here, I think this would look better." She smiled, genuinely, and shoved a pile of dark grey fabric into my arms. I blinked but _she_ shut the door on _me_ before I could ask. I sighed and began to change once again. Now I remember why I hated shopping for clothing so much – it was _always_ like this…

Once I had managed to get the kimono, I went out once more before blinking at the mirror in surprise. Due to the kimono's dark color, I didn't look awkward in it as I had in the pink or light blue, since I almost always wore somewhat dark colors and the simple design of white carnations blooming on the shoulder and at the hem of the fabric was oddly fitting. It actually looked…nice on me, dare I say it. Akako smirked in the mirror. "See? I told you."

"Y-Yeah…,"

Akako brushed back her hair before heading to the check-out section, picking up a pair of zōri on her way there. "Get changed and we can go back to my place. We still have a lot of things to do before we go." She announced and I stared blankly before hurrying back into the changing stall.

ooOOoo

The 'lot of things' Akako had mentioned was baking. Lots and _lots_ of baking. And, for once, we were doing everything – her butler was only watching in case something caught on fire, or something of similar nature – which was strange, since usually the demon did everything in the house; cooking, cleaning, laundry, ect., ect. The first thing we made was a cake – which Akako had me haphazardly decorate – and then we moved on to several different kinds of wagashi. By the time we were done, it was already six in the afternoon and I was _sick_ of cooking (even though I usually had no problem doing it).

"So...now what?" I questioned, chuckling as Kin chewed on my finger in a bored manner, licking off some flour from our recent cooking spree. Akako took off her apron, placing it on the table easily, before her hands placed upon her hips demurely. "Now, we get ready. While you were decorating the cake, I took the liberty of calling Kuroba-kun and telling him that you'd be spending the night with our family. He agreed after I told him your parents were here for the night." She seemed amused at that fact.

"Get ready? Aren't we only going to get dressed? And, sure, it takes a while, but–" I began before I was cut off by the redhead.

"We're not going to just get dressed. I still have to figure out how to tame that bird's nest you call hair and touchup my makeup while I decide what to do with you." She hummed, "Besides, after baking so much, we have flour all over ourselves. We both need to take a shower again." She sighed lightly, "I'll go first, since you take forever." She didn't heed any of my protests as she walked out of the room, heading to the bathroom.

With a sigh, I headed to the living room to wait.

ooOOoo

The leaves of the Ekoda Forest floated down to the ground, shades of dark red and orange as the sun had gone down, the moon now high in the sky and shining down from its crescent shape above. Akako's demon butler trailed behind us, pushing a cart carrying all the confections we had made earlier in the day along the dirt path that had magically appeared when we began our journey – it certainly hadn't been there earlier. By now, I was used to things randomly popping up – especially if it was only something as un-creepy as a _trail _– and was walking along it slowly beside Akako.

"Hey, Akako-neesan…," I started, feeling the beginnings of anxiousness bubble in my chest. I was going to meet _Akako's family_. My footing stumbled for a moment in the unfamiliar shoeing as I avoided a large branch before I regained my balance shakily. Walking in full zōri (with tabi) and kimono was comfortable, but getting used to it was a bit difficult. Kin seemed to get a kick out of the clothing, though, comfortably resting with his head hanging out the small dip of the kimono at my neckline, just above my juban. "It really _will _be okay if I go, right? I'm not even sure what we do there…," I frowned. Now that I thought about it, all of this completely slipped my mind earlier. _Fail._

Akako smiled calmly, easily leading the way. She was adorning a beautiful scarlet red kimono that had beautiful, intricate, designs scaling down the left shoulder and sleeve and below the waistline, wear the obi was secured around her small waist. The whole outfit was shimmering slightly in the light, making me believe it was probably made out of silk or something similar. "Like I said before, don't worry about it. Truthfully, they _told _me to bring you, but it wasn't until today did I decide it would be a good idea." She explained, "You seemed a bit jumpy during the week, but you seem fine today. Besides, you could use the loosening up." She huffed, as if her words weren't as caring as they sounded even if she kinda-sorta dodged the question. _Typical Akako…_

However, I didn't comment on it and only said, "Thanks. For this."

We fell into a comfortable silence as we travelled deeper and deeper into the forest, the only sounds rustling of leaves as the wind blew and the creaks of the wheels on the cart behind us. Just as I was about to ask how much further it was, we arrived at a clearing that seemed to have come from literally _nowhere_ while I had blinked. A nervous feeling settled in the pit of my stomach as I looked at the large – and I mean _large_ – magical seal drew on the dirt ground in scarlet chalking. Torches of fire were spread around the outside of the circle, burning brightly and casting an orange haze of light over the party gathering.

"Once we get inside the protective circle, we can't go out until the reunions over, okay?" Akako said and she easily stepped over the line of salt that was circled around the seal before stepping onto said seal, where she promptly _vanished_.

I stared blankly for a minute before following her hesitantly. She seemed to know what she was doing – and she was _Akako_, when did she ever _not_ know what she was doing? – so it had to be safe. Probably. I fidgeted a moment after carefully stepping over the salt before straightening up and marching onto the circle, which had interesting results. There was an invisible force that pushed through me, _tingling_, and the world _twisted_ for a moment before straightening out, revealing a _full moon_ hanging heavy up in the dark indigo sky. _What…?_

I yelped, flinching back when a face immediately greeted my arrival into the seal. Bright emerald eyes stared back at me as a grin that looked big enough to crack his face in half spread. The unfamiliar man caught my wrist as I always stumbled out of the seal, easily steadily me as if I weighed little to none, which I knew wasn't true. The red-orange haired guy gave raucous laugh, "Be careful there, newcomer! If you slip out of the seal now, you won't be able to celebrate with the rest of us~!"

"Uh..., right, thanks…," My awkwardness at the situation didn't deter the bubbly man (teen?). "Oh, right! Here are you charms for the night! Don't take them off; they're standard, even though we don't need them. Which is also why there's salt around this protective seal." He snorted in bemusement before taking out several small medallions made from silver and carefully putting them on me at a swift pace. The weighed heavily as they all rested against my collarbone, chilling my skin.

"Tonight's charms: The 3rd Pentacle of Jupiter, The 6th Pentacle of Jupiter, The 5th Pentacle of Mars, The 6th Pentacle of Mars, The 4th Pentacle of the Moon, and of course, The 1st Pentacle of Venus, since we can never seem to get along like a normal family without 'em~!" He announced in a mock talk show host voice, spreading his arms dramatically to the side. Everything he had just said passed over my head, though – what the heck was the pentacle of...the _planets_?

My eyes took in the party now behind the jubilant man (teen?) which had appeared after I'd entered the seal. There were people – lots of people – around, all woman dolled up in kimonos and the men were formally in suits like Akako had told me they'd be. One prominent feature was that all the girl's wore a chrysanthemum hair ornament – kanzashi, Akako had called it. I was wearing one myself, my hair arranged back and out of my face by Akako, who had gotten frustrated by the lack of hair to work with and ended up simply folding it up and clipping it together in the back near the base of my head with a diamond-crested (holy crap!) barrette. The kanzashi ornament was stuck between the tucked hairs behind my head neatly. She had sighed about my hair still looking kind of messy – the folded up ends fell back over in an arch and several too-short strands had fell back to frame my face – but said it worked well enough.

Truthfully, I think it looked fine, I don't know what she was complaining about. But, oh well. My eyes snapped back to the man still in front of me when he began speaking again. "It's great, isn't it? I _love_ Halloween!" He cheered happily, almost childlike, before he remembered something, bowing slightly, "Oh! By the way, I'm Koizumi Ryo! Nice to meet you!" He introduced.

Blinking, I shot him back a grin, bowing a bit back as I tried to decide which name to give; my real one or my alias? I shook the thoughts, just going with my first choice. "Uh.., Koizumi Midori. Nice to meet you, too."

"Onii-sama, you're unnerving her." A new voice interjected quietly. A slightly shorter boy walked out from behind Ryo, a sense of calm knowingness following his every step, the same medallions clinking together as they swayed from where they were clipped to his belt. Ryo turned to look at the boy with a pleased grin, "Ah, Min-chan~! Come to visit the newcomer, too?" He cooed, pinching the teen's cheek only for his hand to be slapped away in annoyance. This somehow seemed like a normal occurrence, judging by their faces.

"Sorry about him. He's an imbecile." The boy said, turning back to me as, what I'm assuming was, his older brother sulked in the background. I took a moment to study his features. His hair fell softly over his eyes and around his face, framing his delicate face, a dark crimson color that clashed with his paler skin as clear, almost translucent, shamrock green stared out back at me. He looked fragile and, dare I say it, perhaps a bit feminine with his features.

"My name is Koizumi Minoru. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Midori-san." A second later, he tacked on, as if reading my mind, "Here, we all use each other's given name, as a result of us all having the same surname. It'd be incredibly confusing as to who was talking to whom, if everyone called each other 'Koizumi'."

Ah, he's the one that Akako mentioned earlier! He's only _fifteen_? He seemed so much older than that, with how mature he acted; almost like a wise old man. He stared in waiting before I flushed, realizing I'd forgotten something. "Ah, um, it's nice to meet you, too!" I internally smacked my face for _already_ giving off a weird impression. So much for making a good impression on Akako's family…

A tiny hand touched mine and I jumped, looking downwards to see a girl around seven rubbing one eye while grasping my larger hand in her smaller one. She was wearing a light pink kimono with a cherry blossom designs similar to the one I'd tried on earlier. Unlike me, however, she looked absolutely _adorable_ in the kimono, the color blending with her hunter green eyes and pinkish-purple hair. With a smile, I crouched to see her face-to-face. "Hello, there. I'm Midori. You are?" I asked sweetly.

She smiled up at me goofily and I absently noted that her smile was somewhat similar to Ryo's. Mentioning him, he'd wandered off somewhere, no longer in our vicinity. "I'm Suzu!" She chirped, finally releasing my hand to grasp the plush arm of a teddy bear that was _standing on its own_…

"This is Snuggles!" She gestured to the live bear, who gave me a once over with surprisingly sharp, button, eyes before nodding. Since the small bear, who barely reached up to Suzu's knees, was void of a mouth, I'm assuming he can't talk. I admit, though, it was a bit creepy seeing it move on its own and stuff. Unnerving to say the least, but if no one else was concerned, I suppose it's okay…

"Er, nice to meet you, Snuggles-san." I greeted with a nod at the bear, which placed on plush not-hand on where his waist would've been. Suzu brightened, giving me a quick grin before darting off in the direction of a man (teen?) with similar hair color to hers who was wielding a thick book that had unrecognizable letters on the old cover, the bear keeping up with her easily. I blinked at her sudden departure. It seems people here don't really heed to the 'rules' of conversation, but it was amusing instead of rude.

I stood, surprised when I realized Minoru was still there, but was now holding out semi-large cards to me spread in a fan-like way, the backs of the cards designed intricately. "Pick a card, any card." He stated bluntly, with the quirk of a smile that didn't reach. I raised a brow but complied, reaching out to grab a card. I drew the card and he took it gently, shuffling the other cards in his hand with a skilled practice of any magician…or warlock. He turned the cards face up, taking a look at it in a way so that I couldn't see my result.

He smiled mysteriously, already beginning to head away, muttering, "Interesting card…,"

I stared after, unsure what to do now that all the strange people I'd just met had disappeared. I shifted uncomfortably, feeling horribly out of place. Flinching, I swiveled swiftly as a hand grasped my shoulder and I sighe in relief when I realized it was just Akako. "You scared me." I hissed without any real heat behind it, hand pressed to my heart as I willed it to slow from its panic-induced pace. She smirked, "Sorry." There was a no repentance. "I just thought you would like to meet my father and brother now. I just finished laying out the food." She offered as a half-hearted excuse for her disappearance.

Quirking a smile, I shook my head in slight amusement, following her as she began to lead me further onto the seal, passing several people and tables full of food I recognized from this afternoon. We passed a large circular table in the middle of the table and to a side table, where a woman with long, light red, hair tied back in a winding ponytail sat drinking a dark red substance from a fancy cup – wine, probably. From what I could see, she had cut her kimono to just a bit below her butt in an interpretation I'd seen on TV somewhere. She was also wearing gloves and boots, which clashed strangely, yet fittingly, with her outfit.

There was a man sitting beside her with dark crimson hair and dark violet eyes, dressed stunningly in a casual black suit, also drinking wine. Sitting across the man was another man with burgundy hair swept precisely into place to frame his chiseled face, fierce – yet soft – dark pink eyes watching with some exasperation as the two continued to drink their alcohol. I had to admit, he was handsome, the same draw I had with Akako when I first met her applying to this man as well. Damn magically inclined people and their charms.

We arrived at the table and everyone looked over to us, causing me to start petting Kin out of nervousness. Akako began introductions almost immediately, obviously at ease with these people – it made sense, though, and they _were_ her family. "Midori, this is my father, Koizumi Ryuu." She pointed to the man with violet eyes, who was staring unnervingly so at me in interest, and who _completely_ didn't look old enough to have a daughter of Akako's age. "He's the head of the Koizumi clan." She added with some pride.

I spluttered in surprise as the man chuckled deeply in his throat. He smiled warmly, "I see. You're the girl from the other dimension. It's lovely to meet you, not-daughter." He joked lightly and I relaxed a bit, grinning brightly at him as we laughed. "It's nice to meet you, too." I responded politely, bowing deeply to this man far superior to me.

I straightened and the woman took the liberty of introducing herself, slinging over Ryuu's back in a familiar gesture. He grunted at her added weight, but made no move to remove her from his personal space, so I guess they were close. She gave a cat's smile, light violet eyes glimmering excitedly. "I'm Koizumi Fumiko~! This guy here is my little brother, but he stole the clan leader's position right from under me~!" She growled playfully, beginning to ruin Ryuu's perfectly combed hair with a good mussing. Ah, siblings… That explained it.

"And this," Akako began again, turning to the other man at the table, "is my older brother, Koizumi Yoshiaki. Don't let his looks fool you. Despite making it his hobby to charm girls, he's about as straight as a circle." She stated bluntly, smirking at her brother's reaction – flushing red, all the way up to his ears, and a scowling helplessly. Guess he couldn't really deny it, then, I chuckled internally. I contained a grin, not wanting to be rude and bowed politely in greeting, which he returned half-heartedly in his embarrassment, crossing his arms defensively over his chest.

There was a moment of content silence before it was broken by the familiar voice of Ryo, "Hey, the last ones finally here~! What took ya so long, Arata-bou?" He cheerily interjected and I looked over to see him patting man with bright red hair covering in bandages rather roughly. The man smiled a bit weakly and replied something I couldn't hear. Behind me, Akako's father stood up, clapping his hands together loudly and immediately drawing attention from everyone in the seal's 'arena', women and men and children and teens alike.

"Alright, shall we begin?"

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – Yes, Heiji knows~! 8DDDD I'm glad you liked how he figured her out! ^^ Yes, I have converted you to a Heiji fangirl! (Evil Laughter) (I'm such a guilty Heiji fangirl, lol. He's too cool for his own good. XD) AHH! A **_**statue**_** of Kaitou KID?! Holy freakin' ljwoivnksnd fponofnwm! (Random Spasm) That's too **_**cool**_**! That's **_**awesome**_**, having a **_**Kaitou KID statue**_** in your **_**room**_**~! XDDD Ah, I can't help but feel bad for her, too. (since I'm gonna torture her a lot more in the future. XDDD – shot – ) And have fun on vacation~! I'll also be going on vacation sometime soon! 8D I think we're gonna go to Kansas again, lol. XD (Laughs Forever) Oh, you're description of the "stalker" is too perfect. XDD (And you have good reason to not like him, lol) Thank you, Ri-chan~! (Gathers All Lucky Items) (Returns Luck Hug Happily) Thank you once again, Ri-chan~!**

**To: DDmasters – Yup, I'm glad I got out a new chapter, too~! 8D Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! ^^ And yesh, Heiji knows~! Dun! Dun! …**_**DUN**_**! (Grins) I **_**love**_** doing that. XD **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – (Laughs) It's okay~! XDDD (Plots Kaito's Demise for Helping Out, but Forgives You) (Innocent Grin) XDD And yes, he did! XDDD I find it completely hilarious when one is smug that they're "superior" over the other, so I had to add a lead up to that! XDDD Shinichi'll be like, "…" XD (Grins as Snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! **

**-This was fun. Like, really fun. You have no idea how much fun. XDDD So, a while ago when I decided to make Akako a prominent character in this story, I was like, "I want to expand on Akako's family, history, and the art of their witchcraft and stuff." Just because I thought it'd be interesting and fun to write. So, I ended up making a whole bunch of OCs who will be Akako's family and, yeah… It kind of spiraled out of control and you haven't even seen half of it yet. More like 5%. Mostly everyone has backstories and stuff that will most likely be expanded upon if it calls for it. XD Next chapter will expand a bit more and there will be a lot of magic! (Wiggles Fingers) ((I waste too much time researching this stuff, lol) **

**Anyways, to the notes:**

**First note is that in the last chapter, I idiotically wrote **_**November**_** when I should've written **_**October**_**. Hence why its suddenly October. (Epic Face Palm) Please forgive this incompetent authoress. XD**

**The chrysanthemum hair pin/ornament/decoration (kanzashi): Kanzashi (****簪****) are hair ornaments used in traditional Japanese hairstyles. Some believe they may also have been used for defense in an emergency.** **Kanzashi were first used in Japan during the Jōmon period. During that time, a single thin rod or stick was considered to have mystical powers which could ward off evil spirits, so people would wear them in their hair. The seasons dictate what kind of kanzashi you wear and they're separated by months. Since it's October, the proper kanzashi is a chrysanthemum kanzashi. **

**Akako and her family celebrating New Years on Halloween: This has a bit of a personal background. I have a friend, who is a Wiccan, and she and her coven celebrate New Year on Halloween night and hold a celebration together. Due to this, I thought it'd be interesting to do something similar for the Koizumi clan/coven in this story. Just for anyone who was curious as to where that came from. XD**

**Kimono (pretty sure you all know this, but… – shrugs –): The kimono (****着物****) is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. Kimono are T-shaped, straight-lined robes worn so that the hem falls to the ankle, with attached collars and long, wide sleeves. Kimono are wrapped around the body, always with the left side over the right (except when dressing the dead for burial), and secured by a sash, called an obi, which is tied at the back. Kimono are generally worn with traditional footwear (especially zōri or geta) and split-toe socks (tabi). **

**You'll probably notice that all the kimono Midori describes have designs on the left shoulder (maybe the sleeve) and only below the waistline where the sash is tied. That's because there are certain kimono you wear for certain events – the kimono described here is a hōumongi kimono, which is characterized by patterns that flow over the shoulders, seams and sleeves. Hōumongi rank slightly higher than their close relative, the tsukesage (a kimono not as formal as the** **hōumongi with more modest patterns). Hōumongi may be worn by both married and unmarried women; often friends of the bride will wear hōumongi at weddings (except relatives) and receptions. They may also be worn to formal parties, which is why they were getting these types of kimono, as the reunion is a formal party of sorts. **

**Zōri: Zōri (****草履****) are flat and thonged Japanese sandals made of rice straw or other plant fibers, cloth, lacquered wood, leather, rubber, or—increasingly—synthetic materials.**

**Juban: A juban is a cotton undergarment cut in the same design as a kimono that you wear underneath your kimono. You can usually see the edges at the seams of the actual kimono, but usually never see it hanging from the sleeves or the hem. **

**Wagashi: Wagashi (****和菓子****wa-gashi) is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits. Wagashi is typically made from plant ingredients. Wagashi include: Mochi, Taiyaki, Dango, and many more. **

"…_**Which is also why there's salt around this protective seal." He snorted in bemusement… **_**: It's believed that a circle of salt will protect you from demons, spirits, and the like as long as you are inside of the circle and he's amused because they're already in a **_**protective**_** seal and yet they still took the extra salt precaution, even though they're powerful witches/warlocks. **

"_**Tonight's charms: The 3rd Pentacle of Jupiter, The 6th Pentacle of Jupiter, The 5th Pentacle of Mars, The 6th Pentacle of Mars, The 4th Pentacle of the Moon, and of course, The 1st Pentacle of Venus, since we can never seem to get along like a normal family without 'em~!" : **_**These are actual magical seals/talisman that I researched from a certain website. I figured if they were cautious enough to do the salt, they would also take preventive measures, should the protective salt and seal be breached. I'm not positive if you're allowed to use several talismans at once in real life, but whatever. In here, you can. XDDD**

**The 3****rd**** Pentacle of Jupiter: Defends & protects against any enemy & against any evil spirits which may linger near one's person or home.**

**The 6****th**** Pentacle of Jupiter: Protects form all earthly dangers.**

**The 5****th**** Pentacle of Mars: Causes all demons to obey the wishes of the possessor of this powerful seal. (just in case a demon breaches it) **

**The 6****th**** Pentacle of Mars: The owner of this cannot be harmed. If attacked, the foe's weapon shall turn against him.**

**The 4****th**** Pentacle of the Moon: Defends from all evil, and from any injury to body or soul.**

**The 1****st**** Pentacle of Venus: Brings friendships to the possessor. (I'm assuming this would make people more tolerable or likable or something. Not quite sure. – shrugs– )**

**For G, I just want to say that, no, the Koizumi's aren't paranoid, but they have **_**reasons**_** for being so cautious. XD (I can imagine someone saying 'wow, that was a bit much' lol) **

"**Arata-bou": 'bou' or 'bō' is another diminutive that expresses endearment. Like "chan", it is used for babies and young children, but is exclusively used for boys instead of girls. Ryo is just being a tease here, since he was late. XD**

**-Woo, done. XD That was a lot. Thank you for reading, see you next chapter~! Also, I'm thinking of giving every chapter a name once I edit it. What do you think of that? (Curious) I may not, though. It's just a thought. **


	46. (LN) Chapter 46

**A/N: Whoo! I finally conquered this! I had serious writer's block for this chapter, but I prevailed in the end. (Blows smoke from barrel of gun used to kill writer's block bug) XDD Hopefully, this isn't too confusing with the many, many characters introduced to this.;;; But, it's okay if you got confused! Not a lot of magic in this one, contrary to what I wanted, but…whatever. (Shrugs) (I'm so done with this chapter. XD) Erm, yup! I hope you enjoy the chapter and stuff! 8DDDD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Koizumi Ayala is owned by MagicMilkbone (hopefully I did her okay, she's a tough character. XD).**

Chapter Forty Six; Lucid Nightmare arc

At the question, that was more of a statement, from Akako's father, everyone in the gathering headed towards the table in the middle of the seal. I tensed as I neared, automatically becoming crowded as everyone headed to the same place and I think Kin sensed my discomfort, but he didn't offer any comfort, gold eyes flitting to and fro curiously. Soon, we were all gathered around the circled table, easily fitting around it since it was the perfect size for a family of this size. I couldn't be petulant with Kin, though, as my own eyes started running down the long line of faces.

I stood between Akako and Yoshiaki, who was standing next to tall man with his face turned away, but what I could see was that he obviously liked the color black; his suit was the dark color along with his strange, leather jacket with the collar folded up to hide his jawline. He was strangely intimidating, even though I couldn't see what he looked like. Beside Akako stood Ryuu, who was the center of attention, his sister – Akako's aunt? It was hard to believe, since she didn't look much older than the teenage witch (then again, Akako's father didn't look a day pas twenty-two, either…) – standing beside him, nursing her wine.

"Alright." Ryuu clapped his hands together once more, despite it being unnecessary as he already had everyone's undivided attention. He smiled warmly at the family members gathered, "I'm very glad we had more turn ups than last year. We all know this year has been busy, but tonight is a night of relaxation. There is no need for work tonight. Of course, there are still some members of our clan on duty and they won't be able to attend, but let's all enjoy ourselves for another year of survival." He finished, spreading his arms out gently. I absently thought his wording was strange, but nobody else seemed to, so…

I shrugged off the thought as Ryuu nodded to Fumiko, who clapped once. "Alright~! As per tradition, we'll do introductions first! We'll go by bloodline groups, starting from my left. State your name and anything else you feel the need to add. Anyone who came alone will go last with the others who came by themselves." She chuckled with a grin before sweeping her arm to her left to begin the introductions.

Ryo, Minoru, Suzu, and the guy I remember Suzu running to earlier, stepped closer to the table. "Yo! As many of you probably already know~" Ryo crowed happily, earning some annoyed mutters as he shot several certain people winks, "My name is Koizumi Ryo – I'm the maker of the charms every year, so if you don't know me then you're probably new here. Either that or you're incredibly rude and forgot such an adorable face~!" He huffed, patting his cheek in indication that he was talking about his own 'adorable' face. I forced a grin and laugh down my throat; this guy seemed like fun, that was for sure. He reminded me a lot of Kaito, actually.

Ryo then swung his arm around the other unfamiliar man (teen?), whose only resistance was a sigh, his eyes still firmly locked on the book he'd been reading earlier. "This is Nobu~! He's my twin, as you can tell since he has _my _adorable face~!" Ryo introduced the man (teen?) and, now that I looked at it, they did look somewhat similar. The main difference was the hair color – Ryo's bright orange-red while Nobu's was a dark pink – and the eyes, Nobu's a sharp blue instead of emerald green.

Finally, the stoic man (teen?) decided to cut in, closing the ancient book with a sharp thud one-handedly; it was obvious he was used to wielding the book. He sent Ryo a side glance that seemed blank. "If anyone inherited an adorable face, you inherited it from me. I was born first, you forget." Nobu stated blandly before opening his book again to go back to reading. What was so _interesting_ about that book? It seemed a bit boring, if I was completely honest. Ryo pouted, but looked to Minoru for him to continue.

Minoru easily picked up Suzu as she clamped her hand on his sleeve and began bouncing impatiently for attention, her creepy bear standing not far behind, but content to let Minoru take hold of her. "My name is Minoru…," He said gently, almost too quiet for anyone to hear. Suzu grinned brightly, head laid against his shoulder. "I'm Suzu! Suzu likes sleeping!" She announced proudly, one hand pointing out to her waiting bear, "That's Snuggles!"

"We're the only ones here from our direct family." Nobu finished, letting everyone know that their introductions were finished as he brushed off his twin's arm absently. I blinked in interest. Guess that means the four of them are actually siblings… it seemed like a strange mix, but it was oddly not that surprising, either.

Two others stepped up as the four siblings finished, both with jet black hair falling softly over their crimson eyes. One was a girl, long pigtails cascading down her shoulders, and the other was a boy, hair a stylish mess, but they were undeniably twins with how similar they looked. It was a bit surprising that there were two pairs of twins in one family. "I'm Akira," The male started in a smooth voice, "And this is Akiko." He pointed a slim finger to his similarly darkly clothed sister.

There was a brief silence as we waited to see if they were going to say more before we moved on. The next pair was yet another female-male sibling duo, both having similar hair – a small portion of bangs dyed an orange-ish red in the middle of their forehead (well, the girl's was more spread to the whole front of her face) while the rest was black. To tell the truth, the guy seemed to have a sister complex or _something_, since he was wearing a suit that was matching to her kimono and kept looking at her the whole time, even going as far as to paint his fingernails the same pink color his sister had – it matched his eyes, so it didn't look bad, but it was still strange. The two introduced themselves as Hikaru (the male) and Hisoka (the female).

The next group was of three with a teen that was obviously the older brother of the other two that had stepped up with him – a boy who had this know-it-all face and a girl who was scowling quite insistently, a contrast to their young ages. They looked twelve, at the most. Both boys had silvery white hair – the younger's was more grey than silver, though – and they both had drawing eyes; the younger's were a bright honey-gold while the older had crisp, ice-blue, eyes that almost looked like they were about to grab you and pull them into their cold depths. It was unnerving gaze that reminded me slightly of Conan's eyes.

The girl was pale as pale could be with long, graceful, white hair, eyes a dark pink that bordered on red, but not quite. I half-expected the oldest to introduce everyone, but instead the boy spoke up, tone a bit irritating, as it sounded lilting and pompous. "My name is Koizumi Kohaku. This is Natsuko," He patted the girl on the head, which earned him a fierce glare, before he gestured to the much taller teen. "This is Kazuhiko." A small nod from the elder and they were finished. I tried to keep from my brow furring, but couldn't.

Next was another male-female sibling duo, the girl with brown hair in similar color to mine with orange eyes and the guy with crimson hair and crimson eyes. The girl seemed more shy than anything, while the guy looked like he wished he could be anywhere but here, bored-ness practically _oozing_ from his expression as he chewed on, what I'm assuming was, gum. They easily introduced themselves as Kazuko and Akihiro, respectively.

Then were two guys – probably siblings, too – in their early teens, who looked plainly like _trouble_ personified. Everything about them just screamed '_I'm bad news!_'. I don't know why, there was just something about them…

Both had differing shades of brown hair – one lighter while the other was almost bordering on a grey-ish brown – and had fierce eyes, one smirking while the slightly shorter had an ever present frown, it seemed. The taller stood in front of the shorter, as if unconsciously trying to protect him – it was probably a pull-over from whenever the shorter had gotten that vicious scar over his left eye, straight down from the forehead all the way down the cheek. Despite it obviously being an old healed scar, there was still the glaringly obvious _emotional _scar still unhealed.

"Koizumi Ryota." The taller introduced, running a hand through his messy hair, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "This is Takeshi."

And the introductions went on and _on_; another female-male sibling duo, the girl in her teens whose hair was light brown, but the tips were colored a dark red and the boy looking not much older than Conan and the Detective Boys (they introduced themselves as Aika and Seiichi). Seiichi seemed shy, clinging to his sister's kimono and peeking from behind her at the large crowd. Then was another set of twins – like, holy crap, how many twins can you have in one family? – and both seemed sweet, smiling softly, long magenta locks falling gracefully. The two females looked extremely alike, but there was a slight difference in their hairs (one messier and the slightly neater) so you could tell the difference. They introduced themselves as Momoko and Ayako.

Then was two female siblings, one small and doll-like while the other was taller, but still as beautiful; they introduced themselves as Miki (the older, smaller one) and Chikako (the taller, younger one). Then _another_ sibling duo, containing a woman with long black hair and emotionless red eyes and a younger girl who had the same hair and eye color, but looked fiercer and definitely more animate than her sister; the older was Tsubaki and the younger was Kaede.

Then there was a pair of three, who gave me the creeps just by looking at them. And everyone at the reunion obviously knew them – quite unkindly – by the wary looks being cast their way as they introduced themselves. All three teens (?) had eyes of the same crimson color, but all had differing hair color; one had soft black hair and looked the calmest, another with a cold mask on had brown hair similar to mine and looked bored, and the last one with an insane grin painted permanently on his face had silvery-grey hair. The one with black hair – he seemed to be the ring-leader – introduced them all; Yuuto (brown-haired), Takashi (insane grinner), and he, himself, was Osamu.

Then were several people who came on their own. A woman with red hair that bordered on pink and grey eyes named Akane, another woman with red hair but emerald eyes named Aki, a man with messy white hair to his shoulder and blood red eyes named Isamu (a curious thing to note was that one of his hands was made of metal, shaped like a skeleton's bones), a teenage girl with pink hair and lime green eyes named Asuka, a woman with curling red hair and golden eyes who seemed to garner lots of respect named Miho, the man with red hair covered in bandages named Arata, and so on and so forth.

After getting through several other people – Hotaru, Kouki, Kaori (a girl about my age), Hachiro (he seemed oddly conniving, yet kind), Ren, Hayato, Noboru (who kept fiddling with playing cards), Daichi (who had a _lizard_ on his shoulder), Kouta (the man standing beside Yoshiaki who gave me danger warnings in his black clothing), then a man named Tatsuya who also garnered a lot of respect despite him giving me the heeby-jeebies – I _finally _introduced myself along with Akako. And I just knew – _knew_ – that I wouldn't remember _half_ the names I'd just been told. As it was, the only ones I was certain about were Ryuu, Yoshiaki, Fumiko, and Akako.

It just wasn't possible to remember so many names all at once.

If I tried, I knew I would fry my brain.

As soon as introductions were over, everyone dispersed to go eat and talk amongst themselves. With Kin as my guide – as he was pawing at my arm and staring quite pointedly at what he wanted – I headed to a nearby table covered with food, trying not to look too nervous by leaving Akako's side.

ooOOoo

"You know, Kin-chan, this is actually pretty fun." I laughed quietly – slightly awkward – as I talked with Kin, who was happily stuffing himself with cake – I couldn't remember if that was bad for his health or not at the moment. I really hoped it wasn't, though, otherwise I would be eternally guilty when bringing Kin to the vet later.

"Ach, í̱tan lígo dedoménou óti écho̱ dei apó énan apó esás. Drosistikó, schedón." I jumped at the foreign language, turning swiftly. A man with light blond hair and red eyes walked closer, looking thoroughly amused at my flinch. He held a rose in a glove hand close to his chest, an irritating smirk on his lips. My mind scrambled for a name to the face, but only came up blank. _Shoot_…

It must have shown on my face, since he chuckled. "Names are but of conduct, but I say they are not needed–" The rose in his hand darkened in color, making me take an involuntary step back as it shifted. A white raven flapped its wings, white plumage falling gracefully to the seal on the ground as it perched itself on the man's shoulder. "–what do you think, ypi̱réti̱s? Do you think we should use names?"

He lifted a hand to stoke the breast feathers of the bird as it straightened on cue. "Nevermore." It croaked perfectly. I blinked, feeling incredibly amused – a _raven_ had just said _nevermore_! – and _confused_.

"Um…,"

He smirked at me for a long moment before– "Haha, your _face_! I'm just _kidding_. Names _are_ important. Mine, as you've forgotten, is Hayato." Somehow, his personality seemed to switch in an instant and there was something that nagged at the back of my mind that his actual opinion was the first one, but he'd changed it instantaneously. My brows furrowed as I mustered up a wary smile, "Um, yes. Sorry about that. It's hard to remember names…," I trailed uncertainly, not knowing what reaction to expect next.

He placed a hand on my shoulder comfortingly, still smiling a smile that felt _fake_. "It's alright – we all have had that problem once before. I remember accidentally calling Osamu-kun Hachiro." He chuckled somewhat sheepishly, suddenly relaxing, his smile evening out to an actual one. Sensing this, I relaxed as well. "That must have been interesting to watch." I laughed, grinning at the thought. Kin finished his cake, licking bits of frosting off his whiskers and paws calmly. I blinked as a sudden thought came to me.

"Ah, um! Right – I was wondering, is it okay for cats to eat cake? I couldn't remember." I laughed and he gave a small chuckle. "Cats generally shouldn't eat cake, but I'm sure this allásso̱n should be just fine." Hayato reached out and scratched under Kin's chin briefly before another voice called out. "Oi, Hayato! Can you come over here for a minute?" We both turned to see Akihiro – at least I _think_ it was Akihiro – waving Hayato over with a bored expression, though there was the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

Hayato looked back to me with an apologetic expression, but I just smiled and gave him a hard pat on his back. "Don't worry about it – I may _look_ lonely, but I enjoy spending quality time with Kin-chan~!" I grinned and he stumbled from the force of my rough handling, but straightened out with a laugh. "I see – I didn't know I was interrupting." He turned to look at Kin with a smirk, whose tail swayed happily, "Sorry for the disturbance." He walked off to Akihiro with a backwards wave as I blinked. That was…weird.

I sighed, turning back to Kin, who was beginning to eat chi chi dango mochi. I gave a light laugh, wiping some potato starch off of his nose as he bit into another one gluttonously. "You know, people keep saying weird things around you Kin-chan." I commented, thinking back to what fortune-teller had said while glancing at Kin. Gold eyes stared up at me – looking a bit _startled_ – and I raised a brow as Kin offered me his most innocent face ever, eyes wide. I stared a moment before chuckling, not able to withstand the adorable look – especially when he still had starch on his face.

He went back to eating, knowing he'd won this battle thus far, and I flinched when a new voice spoke up right behind me. "He's cute. Does he have a name?"

I spun on my heel before looking down slightly. A girl who looked around my age stood in front of me, her hair a dark black, the tips dyed a scarlet red to match the color of her eyes. She didn't look familiar, so I could only assume that she hadn't been there for the introductions, even though Ryo had said that Arata – it _was_ Arata, right? – was the last one. Did that mean that she'd been here before, but didn't introduce herself for some reason, even though they'd said it was tradition?

She stared at me for a long moment and I felt myself flush in embarrassment as I realized I'd been blankly staring, too. "Erm, Kin!" I rushed, bringing a hand up to muss my hair nervously before remembering Akako would _kill_ me if I messed up my hair after all the hard work she'd put into it. My hand twitched as I resigned to scratching my neck instead. "That's…that's his name…Kin." I nodded, slipping a smile onto my lips easily after a moment.

She grinned in a slightly mischievous fashion, a cute orange tabby popping up behind her head as it stalked from her shoulder, down her arm, and then onto the table where her hand rested. It immediately joined Kin's voyage of eating everything available on the spread. "Cute, but not as cute as Ra." She snickered, petting the tabby's head for a mere second before turning towards me and offering out a hand with that same grin. "Koizumi Ayala. It's nice to meet you, Midori-chan."

I grasped her hand and gave it a firm shake, eyes narrowing the slightest – she _hadn't_ introduced herself; why hadn't she? Her grin grew a fraction sharper as we brought our hands back to our sides, apparently sensing my tense attitude towards her. "You're probably wondering why I wasn't there while introductions happened, right?" With a slightly arrogant tone, she smirked, only to frown a second later, "This damn place is hard to get into. Introductions are shit, since everyone already knows us." She gave a scoff lightly.

"…o-oh." I blinked before giving an amused grin before instinctively shooting out my hand to ruffle her hair before stopping dead short again once I realized she'd done her hair up, too. Again, my fingers twitched before I retreated. She glanced at my hand briefly before moving on.

"Aren't you going to play with the others?" She questioned, flicking her bangs out of her face with a superior look. I'm guessing she didn't feel like playing with the others…

"What games are they playing?" My gaze flicked to the nearby tables, spotting Hayato paying close attention to something on the table he, Akihiro, and Kazuko (?) were at. They were all laughing in soft tones, amused for some reason. Ayala smirked at me, crossing her arms over the top of her kimono. "Despite what people think, we _do_ play normal games. I think they're all regular games – well, other than what Osamu-kun and the other two are playing. Takashi-kun must have roped them into playing it." She rolled her eyes, but there was a glimmer in her eyes that gave away to some amusement.

"Ohh, what game are those three playing?" I crowed, a sharp grin spreading across my face. This girl was interesting – something about her screamed arrogant, but then there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. Admittedly, I couldn't resist an interesting person – all someone needed to do to get close to me was make me interested and then, well, it's all downhill from there, really. Bad habit, since some people weren't good company. I grimaced internally at the thought before pushing it away as Ayala answered.

"They're playing Kokkuri-san." She offered with a one-shoulder shrug, pulling out a chair to sit at the table. As soon as she sat, she took to a plate of chocolate cake, stabbing her fork in it. From extensive research back when I was in my own dimension, the name was easily identified. "Kokkuri-san, huh? I heard that it was disapproved as a scientific phenomenon by scientists, though." I commented absently, leaning my hip against the table to distribute my weight on that instead of my legs.

She scoffed, "Ugh. If there's anything worse than _detectives_–" she spat the word out like it was toxic, "–then it'd definitely be _scientists_; always trying to disprove anything remotely mysterious with science and denying anything that doesn't suit to their whims. If anything, they're childish to want the answers to everything. One day, they'll hit a road block and we witches will be laughing behind their backs as they realize it can't be 'scientifically proven'."

She cracked a sardonic grin as I burst into laughter. Her thoughts almost echoed mine from a while back – I remember thinking scientists killed the magic in everything; even the beauty of life was a mere scientific equation explained on a paper in school. However, despite that, science was one of my favorite subjects and I was pretty good at it, too. I refrained from enlightening her on that, though. And the fact that I currently knew four detectives personally. A nagging feeling told me that would end up in a long, unfriendly, debate between us two.

"T-That's the _truth_~!" I howled with laughter, hand banging against the table repeatedly.

She popped another piece of cake in her mouth elegantly as she waited for me to catch my breath. After I calmed down enough to talk properly, she sent a pointed glance to where the three males were sitting around a small table, people giving them a wide berth. From the earlier reactions and now, it seemed they weren't very welcomed. Well, other than Ayala – she seemed completely fine with them. "So, are you going to play with them or do something else?" She didn't seem interested in my answer, taking another bite of her cake, not even bothering to glance at me.

I surveyed my options, but I knew I wouldn't play with them – my mother had told me to never play games such as that one; I wasn't going to just disobey her, even if she wasn't here to see. I shifted, trying to get a better look at the game from afar. "Hm…probably not – not my type of thing, truthfully. But, I'm curious, why are they playing that game specifically?" Of course I had expected witchy things here, but since everyone else was playing _normal _games, it didn't make much sense why those three were playing something like Kokkuri.

"Oh…I don't believe there's an exact reason, really. I think Takashi-kun just likes to tease dead people." She stated blandly in her superior tone, finishing off her cake with another bite. She immediately went to grab another sweet confection, setting to eating it. I chuckled a bit nervously – how morbid it was to tease _dead people_…

"Yeah, I think I'll pass…," I trailed, rewarded with a snicker from my company. "Maybe I'll just go…," My eyes scanned the area before pausing on a certain spot. Several people were tumbling over each other, trying to stay up, over a Twister mat. "–I'll go play Twister, I guess. Wanna come?" I offered, giving Ayala a smile as I straightened from my slanted lean.

She finally looked back up at me with her red eyes, looking a bit surprised before she covered it up with a pompous scoff. "No thanks. I don't play Twister." She retorted, "I'll just stay here with Ra and Kin-kun." She turned back away from me with an over-exaggerated huff that I raised a bemused brow. She went back to eating and I gave her a rough, friendly, clap on the back – making her jolt in surprise – before ruffling Kin's head and turning towards the Twister mat.

"Okay, then. Have fun eating~! Kin, don't be a brat to Ayala-chan~!" I called, getting a disgruntled look from the black cat on the table, before swiveling on my heel and heading determinedly toward the Twister mat. I don't know why I had been so unnerved before by this family – just because they were a coven of witches didn't mean they weren't human and, sure, some were a bit…strange, but that didn't change anything.

And, truthfully, I could see myself getting along really well with these people if I loosened up.

ooOOoo

"No! No! _Asuka_! I said right _hand_ blue! Not right _foot_!" Akane barked out fiercely, expression curled up angrily. A spike of accomplishment filled my chest as I thought of how I now knew everyone who was playing Twister by name.

I chuckled, readjusting myself as I felt my tabi-clad foot slipping waywardly. Ryo's grip slipped for a moment and he almost ended up in the splits before his leg hit a roadblock – Aika's leg. Next to Aika was her little brother, Seiichi, who was easily staying up, being smaller compared to the rest of us playing the game. He had the advantage of weaving underneath us all. And since he wasn't a girl, he wasn't wearing a restricting kimono, either. Like, _really_ – kimonos obviously weren't designed to play Twister.

"Well, _sorry_!" Asuka yelled back, hand pushing away Hikaru's face from hers vindictively. "I have this _idiot_ here and I can feel my kimono riding up my legs from this awkward position, so I moved my right foot instead!" She growled when Hikaru made a kissy face at her before he was quite unkindly shoved, resulting in him losing his balance, onto the mat by the enraged pink-head.

Hisoka giggled at her brother's misfortune, making him pull her down playfully in revenge – she yelped and Ryo's arm got caught in hers as she tried to stay up, making him fall, causing Aika to fall as their legs entangled. They collapsed in a pitiful pile, each muttering a few choice words under their breath. Hikaru gave a proud laugh before his air was pushed out of his lungs as he was tackled by Hisoka, the two siblings beginning to have a fake brawl. My face flushed red when Hisoka shrieked, "Hey! That's my _chest_!"

I shook my head with a small chuckle – I didn't even want to know. I froze when I saw Ryo looking at me with a creepy grin right before he tackled me, apparently thinking I had been laughing at his tumble. I yelped, falling onto my side roughly – Seiichi hurrying out of my way as I threatened to squish him, resulting with Asuka finally falling as he bumped into her – before I was assaulted with a tickle attack. I squirmed, laughing hysterically as I tried to get him to stop, curling into myself to try defending my most ticklish areas.

Ryo laughed along, enjoying 'torturing' me for supposedly laughing at him. "_Hahahaha_–g-get him–_haha_–off!" I managed between bouts of intense laughter, feeling my face go red from lack of oxygen. Ryo's hands disappeared a second later and I looked up thankfully at my savior, Aika.

"Oi, what would happen if she passed out from lack of oxygen, moron?" Aika joked, ruffling Ryo's hair until it was an unkempt mess. He pouted childishly but surrendered. There was a moment of silence as we all calmed down from the quick happens.

Akane coughed into her hand from the side of the mat, "You do realize you all just lost, right?" At our blank faces, she tacked on, "Idiots."

Hisoka and Hikaru, who had finally finished wrestling with each other, laughed at the insult and I marveled at how similar they were despite not being twins; with how they were, they may as well have been. Though, I think Hikaru would be even more devastated if his sister was his twin, what with his complex. I quirked a grin at my inner thoughts, sitting up from my prone position and fixing my hair slightly – I didn't want Akako to get mad at me, after all.

Asuka huffed something under her breath about being the last to fall, but we all ignored her quite tactfully. After the first few moments with Asuka, I learned she had Princess Syndrome. Seiichi crawled over to my side, looking up to me with his innocent doe eyes. "Ne, ne, will you be requesting something of the Raven Man today?" He questioned curiously. I blinked curiously, "The…Raven Man?"

Aika released Ryo from the headlock she had him in, coming over to take a seat next to me on the mat. "Ah, that's right; you're new, aren't you?" She questioned rhetorically before going on, "The Raven Man is an old magical being. He's a neutral entity, neither good nor evil, and he grants witches requests, if it's in reason, due to our kind helping him before. But, for whatever reason, humans think they can summon him nowadays with a bogus ritual." She laughed, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure he'll take your request, if you ask him of something." She added, picking up Seiichi and placing him in her lap. "It's something of a tradition for the newcomer of our coven to request something of him, anyways."

A new voice spoke up from behind me, a startled chill running up my spine. "I think that's a lovely idea." My head was turned by a hand grasping my chin and I came face-to-face with Tatsuya. I remembered him easily, since he was treated with lots of respect and unnerved me greatly – just staring into his eyes, I could feel myself break into a cold sweat. Cold grey eyes stared me down from his higher height as the tips of his nails dug into my cheek. "Midori-chan probably has a lot of requests, some more important than others."

I swallowed thickly as he peered closer, white-grey bangs brushing against mine. "I think she'll make a fascinating decision, at least." With that, he released my face, stepping out of my personal space. I choked my breath back, heart restarting in a panicked pace. _This man…_

With a snap of his slender fingers, the mat disappeared from under me in a spark of black and replaced with five candles and a knife. I yelped as I fell the short distance back to the floor and the others who had been playing Twister with me retreated to the sides, creating a semi-circle around me. "There. Now you can start." Tatsuya hummed, a smirk playing vaguely at the corners of his mouth as he flicked his hand in my general direction. At the gesture, the five candles lit up within seconds.

"Now, all you have to do is take the knife and offer up your blood." He instructed.

"Erm…why?" I was just being pulled into this involuntarily and I really had _no_ idea what I was doing. From my first meeting with Akako, I had promised myself to not do anything against my ethics, also – which included anything with the power from, well, evil spirits or something. Lucifer, for one, would never be someone I would consult with. _Ever_.

"You're making a temporary blood pact with the Raven Man. Don't worry, he's not evil." Tatsuya raised a brow at me, wanting me to continue. Hesitantly, I did what he said, gripping the knife and making a small, careful, cut, across the pad of my pointer finger. I winced, not used to inflicting pain on myself, and watched in grim interest as blood pooled at the top of the cut. "…Now what?" My voice shook slightly in anxious nervousness.

"Now you drop you blood on each candle wick." He stated, crossing his arms as he watched, "Repeat after me…," Words began falling out of his mouth in a foreign language – Latin, maybe? – and I repeated hesitantly, getting pulled into the lilting cadence of words and seemingly random sequences. I felt my body grow heavy as I dropped blood onto each wick carefully. It felt like I was being drained of energy – but not the physical kind, but the mental kind. As if each word was being dragged from my soul.

As soon as I decided this was probably a bad idea, the foreign words stopped and I had finished putting my blood on each wick, and there was a moment of short, unsteady, silence. Then, an overwhelmingly loud, high-pitched, screech filled the air, startling me into breaking out of my daze. The wound on my hand closed up quickly and the ground underneath me shook for a brief moment as red, glowing lines spread from my spot on the ground to create an easily spotted magical seal. It looked very intricate, many symbols and foreign letters engraved in the mystical red.

Suddenly, the screech disappeared – thank goodness, my ears! – and the seal dimmed down to a light blue, making it look a lot less sinister than it had before in bloody red. I relaxed slightly, feeling strangely at home in the circle – it felt…familiar.

My eyes whipped up as a voice entered through my mind, wispy as if it would disappear any moment. _What is your request?_ The voice was dark and deep, but there was an underlying tone of loneliness that made me cringe at the intenseness of it. However, it was kind and warm and caring. I cleared my throat nervously before answering in my mind as well. _Are you the Raven Man?_

_That's what I'm called, yes. My real name cannot be pronounced on human tongues, so you may call me Yuudai._

A small smile formed on my lips as I slipped my eyes shut to concentrate on what I was doing. _This isn't my real name, but you can call me Midori. _A hum sounded through my mind as he thought this over and I could make out a vague image of a lonely man sitting on a rock off in the distance, arms replaced with majestic black wings, legs pulled up to his bare chest and white eyes – blind eyes – staring into a nearby river unseeingly. Absently, I wondered if he could see me through his mind, too.

_You are like me, are you not? You are not of this world. _He finally stated, shifting on his rock miles from here. His pale lips pulled into a friendly smile.

_You're right. _I laughed internally, _how did you know? _

_When creating a blood pact, I receive the person's memories and experiences to judge if they are a good person or not. _He informed, _Also, I saw your worries. There's no need to be afraid – I am but a neutral existence that is tied to logical reasoning – if someone were to ask me to kill someone, that would be changing the course of their fate, so it is not possible. Saving someone from being killed, however, is completely different. Their fate is being altered by an outside force, therefore I am allowed to intervene. The blood pact between us will also disappear once I fulfill your request. _His voice softened a bit.

_Umm, okay. Thanks. _I sighed to myself, not knowing what to request. A sudden idea came to me and I smiled.

_Hey, I know this is going to happen eventually, so would you be willing to…_

ooOOoo

I stretched tiredly in the kimono, Kin back in between it and the juban. Ayala had disappeared off somewhere with Ra when I had come back to the table after finishing my request with Yuudai. I was just wandering aimlessly, watching the people play different games like Monopoly to Chutes and Ladders to Mouse Trap. Some of the more mature were just sitting at tables chatting amongst themselves, too. Overall, I was completely comfortable here by now, but it was getting late. It was nearing three o'clock in the morning and I was _exhausted_.

I blinked, turning at a clapping sound to my left. Standing in the middle of everyone's attention once again was Akako's father, "Alright, everyone. Our gathering is coming to a close. All that's left is our chants." He smiled handsomely and everyone began making a large circle around a bonfire, which had magically replaced the large table that had been in the middle of the seal when I hadn't been looking. It was already burning brightly, fire dancing in the light night breeze.

I jolted as a hand clasped my arm and Akako appeared by my side, dragging me gently to the circle that was being created. "Come on, it's finally over." She muttered, brushing a strand of red hair out of her face, "Then we can go home and sleep." She sounded relieved and I bit back an amuse snort, deciding to let her off the hook for today.

We entered the human circle and I did as instructed, clasping hands with Akako, who was on my right, and then with Fumiko, who was on my left. She gave me a grin before we all snapped to attention as someone began chanting nonsensical words. I grimaced in confusion but tried in vain to repeat it while everyone else did the same thing and eventually it shifted to English that I could understand and chant along.

_We are a circle within a circle… _

Everyone's voices blended together to create a hushed voice that sounded like one, and we began moving in a slow rotation motion that I couldn't remember even starting. The fire crackled beautifully – powerfully – from inside the circle we were creating, lighting everything in a mesmerizing orange haze and the world outside blurred.

…_with no beginning…_

The smell of incense filled the air and everything seemed calm and still despite the chant echoing in my head and us still moving at a slow rate. The hands in my grip were warm and protective and I felt _safe_ at the moment – very, very, _safe_. All my earlier paranoia washed away for the moment and I could tell by everyone else's expression that they all felt the same way – safe and warm and protected. At the moment, we were all one. Not humans, not witches, not students – just a circle. The thought was relaxing.

I'm not sure how long we chanted, but when we finally ended, everyone was quiet and calm as we went on our own ways. Before leaving, however, Ryo had given me a silver charm on a thick string, telling me that I'd probably need it in the future. Confused, but grateful, I took it with a thank you.

…_and never ending…_

ooOOoo

Akako and I were walking back together, her father and brother having disappeared off somewhere – apparently, they didn't live together often. Akako's butler was trailing behind us, the cart being pushed with minimal noise. Leaves crunched silently underfoot as we headed along the path.

"Hey, Akako-neesan," I began, voice hushed in the night, "Would it be alright if I ask you some questions?" Since I had spent the night with her family, I had gotten to know them, but some questions were still nagging at the back of my mind.

Akako's fiery eyes, looking peaceful, glanced over to me and she gave a small nod of consent. I hummed, wondering which question I should start with. I decided with an easy one. "Koizumi Ayala, I met her. I was just wondering why she never introduced herself with everyone else." My eyes drifted upward into the sky, seeking out the crescent half of the moon high in the air. Once I found it, I smiled to myself, shifting Kin more comfortably in my arms. During the chant, he had fallen asleep.

"Ah, Ayala-chan. She's a special case. Most of the family is afraid of her." She started, "When she was younger, she created a pact with a demon to gather more magic. Her mother had fallen ill and no scientific breakthrough was coming through with it – it was a magically induced illness; the doctors had no idea what to do. But, since she made the pact with the demon, they now share a body – two souls in one. Sometimes, the demon is able to overpower her and take control of the body. Due to this, she has a split personality." She answered.

I blinked in surprise before it faded away and I frowned. That's why she looked surprised when I invited her to play Twister with me… "I see." I answered shortly before I decided to move onto safer territory, clearing my throat uncomfortably. "Um, so, why is Arata-san covered in bandages? Is he _into_ that kind of thing or…?" I joked and I was rewarded with a laugh from the witch, the tense atmosphere dissolving.

"No, no. Arata-kun excels in summoning. However, since he's not a tamer, he often gets attacked by the things he summons. I'm honestly surprised he isn't dead yet." She snickered, thoroughly amused. I gave a small laugh, "Why doesn't he just practice being a 'tamer', then?" I questioned, not very familiar with the terms, but getting a hang of it easily enough.

"Tamers can't just be made, Midori." She scolded half-heartedly, no heat behind it. "Only special people can become tamers. That's why Ayala made a body pact with the demon, because without it, she wouldn't be able to tame the demon and use its magic for her own biddings. You remember Daichi, right?" I nodded, "The one with the lizard on his shoulder, right?"

"Correct. That's not actually a lizard, but a low-level demon in standard form. Daichi is a tamer and therefore doesn't have make a blood pact or a body pact with it for it to acknowledge him as its master." She explained. Oh, well, that made sense. To think the lizard was actually a demon… a chuckle slipped out of my lips unbidden. A demon disguised as a _lizard_. It just sounded incredibly funny at the moment – I think I was finally getting a bit loopy from lack of sleep. And the heist was tomorrow, too. Guh, I probably wouldn't be getting much sleep tomorrow (today?) night, either.

"So, who else is a tamer?" I asked curiously.

She looked up to the right in thought, "Let's see, there's Tsubaki-chan, Hayato-kun…," She trailed off to remember more while I remembered the strange albino crow from before. She continued, "Aika-chan, Kohaku-kun, and Asuka-chan, though hers are only low-level demons. She's still working on it." I gave a hum in interest, filing the information through my mind – I was learning a lot about Akako's family and it somehow made me happy.

"What about Akira-san and Akiko-san? Those two seem like the type that would do something similar." I mused, thinking back to the two shady twins dressed in all black with similar hair and depressed red eyes. Akako gracefully stepped over the branch I had trouble avoiding earlier with ease before answering, "Well, those two do something _similar_ to taming, yes. They both excel in manipulation. Unlike taming or making pacts, they are able to manipulate a demon into doing their will for however long they want, without needing to make a pact or tame it. Taming requires you to take the demon in – if you tame it, you automatically become its master forever. But, manipulation allows them to breeze through the pact or taming part and just use the demon when needed and release it when it's no longer needed."

"I see." That was a fascinating concept. I'm guessing it takes a special type of person to have manipulation, then, otherwise people wouldn't bother making pacts or taming them. A sudden thought came to mind, "Hey, what about that teddy bear that followed Suzu-chan around?" The creepy bear had been there the whole night, even joining in our chant circle despite its lack of mouth.

"Oh, that? The bear is enchanted. Inside of it contains a protective guardian spirit that will take care and nurture Suzu-chan until she reaches the age of ten. I used to have one, too." She commented before giving a delicate yawn. Apparently, I wasn't the only tired one.

"Oh? But wasn't Seiichi-kun nine years old? Why didn't he have one?" I asked, confusion apparent in my voice. If it was common, then why didn't he have one? Was it just a female thing, or…? I didn't have to ponder long as Akako replied, "Seiichi-kun lives with his parents. Suzu-chan has one since she's rarely with her parents. It takes the place of the parental role, so only children who weren't with their parents at a young age have one."

I bit my tongue pensively. Didn't that mean that Akako hadn't been living with her parents when she was younger and she was _still_ living alone…? I refrained from asking it, though, choosing to change the subject once again. "Ah, right. I was wondering. I noticed everyone in your family has unusual looks – they either have red eyes or red hair or are albino. But, I noticed there were a few who had somewhat normal looks, like Seiichi-kun or Ryota-kun and Takeshi-kun." Not that they looked completely normal, either, giving off the sense of being on a completely different level, but whatever.

She gave a shrill cackle that echoed through the nearby trees and bounced back creepily. I shivered, hugging Kin closer to my chest. "It comes with the magic blood line. You either look on a completely different level than others, or you exude being on a completely different level. That's why people tend to avoid our kind – they're intimidated or admire us too much to become close." She smirked, probably thinking back to her own set of admirers from school. I rolled my eyes at the display, an amused grin playing on my lips.

"I see. That must be kind of annoying for some, though, I imagine." I chuckled.

"That's true." She nodded, "I know Akihiro-kun once thought of giving up his powers because he was jealous of the other kids in his school having friends while he was isolated." She intoned, tone mellowing dramatically. I frowned, thinking back to the teen who had seemed so nonchalant about everything – I never would have guess that he disliked what he was because he was isolated…

I coughed awkwardly, rushing to change the topic, "By the way, I noticed that your mother wasn't there. Was she busy?" I questioned quickly and regretted it a second later as the atmosphere dropped. I scrambled to fix my unknown mistake, "Um! You don't have to tell me if you don't–" I began, hurrying to apologize as she walked ahead of me a bit so that I couldn't see her face. I was cut off before I could finish, though, by words that froze my heart. The tone was emotionless, but still hurt just as much.

"My mother is dead. She was killed."

I paused in my stride before starting to walk at a slower pace, letting Akako have her space. I bit my lip, deciding not to say anything, less I make it worse. The tense atmosphere I'd been working to avoid had now come and swallowed us both. The rest of the walk to Akako's house was silent and when we got home, we went our separate ways immediately to go to sleep. Not one word was uttered.

I couldn't help but think of myself an idiot for even asking and as I lay on the guest bed, thinking of how Akako was doing, I knew I wasn't going to be getting sleep anytime soon.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Meow-chan-15 (chapter 43 review) – (Laughs) This made me laugh really hard! XDDD Made my day! YES! Conan, beware of the insane pedo! XDDDD And thank you! I'm glad you like my story! 8DDD **

**To: Meow-chan-15 (chapter 44 review) – Thank you~! o^^o And you'll just have to see~ (Grins in a troll-ish way) XDD –shot–**

**To: Iriss-sama – (Laughs) It is, isn't it? XD I thought I would never make it this far or for it to get this popular, but I'm pleasantly surprised. ^^ Mwahaha! Become a Heiji fan! Heiji fan~! 8DDD XDDD Kaito is still epically awesome~! I can't wait to incorporate him more into the story. X3 Here's the next chapter~! Not as much magic as I planned, but, you know. (Shrugs Helplessly) I didn't know what to do. XD I got stuck halfway, lol. And no, you're not~! I like magic, too~! (High-fives) And he is like Kaito! (Nods, nods) He's very carefree and cool like Kaito. XDD Thank you – I really like Minoru's character. He seems to be in the background, but I like writing him. XD And I hope you liked all the Koizumi's~! XDDD And thank you, I had a good vacation! 8DD We ended up not going to Kansas and my birthday was something of a disaster, but it was fun all the same! XDD (it would've been **_**awesome**_** to get trapped in another dimension. XD) (Gathers all the luck) Thank you, Ri-chan~! 8DDD (Returns Lucky Hug) 8D **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – XDDD This made me laugh a lot. The pause between 'seems' and 'interesting' is exactly the way I feel about them. XDD Despite having made them, I can't help but feel they're a bit weird or too normal or something. (Shrugs) XD And yup! Research, research, and more research~! (I'm an info junkie, so it was kinda fun, though –laughs– ) Me too! I always love chatting to her. ^^ And I won't~! (Grins Wickedly) Don't worry. I just went to the grocery store… (Laughs Evilly) XDDD (Grins as Snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan! 8DDD **

**To: Meow-chan-15 – Yup! I love doing research. ^^ Thank you! Here's the next chapter. Thank you for all your reviews~! *hearts* **

**To: Victini-Kumi – Yeah, she has, hasn't she? She'll just be getting into more trouble later, too. (Winces) Yay, late night reader buddies~! (I swear, sometimes I don't go to bed until its already seven in the morning…;;;) Thank you! Here's the next chapter! 8D **

**-Well, this was hard. I was thinking of giving up halfway – that's how hard this was. But, I beat it! (Proud) (Steps on dead writer's block bug) XDDD I hope you enjoyed it! ^^ (and hopefully you didn't get confused on who was who. XD I know I did a couple times and they're my characters… – fail, lol – ) I'd also like to thank MagicMilkbone for giving me an interesting OC to work with! Thank you, MagicMilkbone! 8DDD And the heist is next~! Wish me luck on that! XDDD;;;**

**Note(s):**

**1 – The language Hayato speaks will not be revealed until later, since the sentences he says here are very revealing to future events. XD It's not written in its handwriting, either, but rather the way it sounds, so you probably won't be able to translate it. (Laughs Evilly) I love withholding information~! XD Also, I used Google Translate, so if you do somehow know the language, sorry if you spot major mistakes. XD **

**2 – Kokkuri or Kokkuri-san is like the Japanese version of the Ouija board. The word Kokkuri refers to the game, the actual physical apparatus, and the spirit(s) believed to possess the apparatus in order to communicate with humans. The physical mechanism is composed of three bamboo rods arranged to make a tripod, upon which is placed a small pot, which is covered by a cloth. Three or more people will place their hands upon the Kokkuri and ask the spirits a question, which that spirit will in theory answer by moving the pot or remaining still. Japanese folklorist, Inoue Enryō, wrote about the kokkuri phenomenon, denouncing it as mere superstition, yet his efforts did not succeed in depopularizing the game. Some scientific figures of the age attempted to explain the phenomena with the more scientific sounding yet ultimately equally mysterious trope "human electricity". (from Wiki~) **

**Er, yup. I think that's it. Not sure if I missed anything. Oh, I found the Raven Man thing on the internet, but I tweeked it **_**a lot**_**, so I don't feel the need to put down the information, so… (Awkward) XD Yeah. (Coughs) See you next chapter? XDDD **

"**Next Revolver Hint: Memory Anomaly!"**


	47. (LN) The Knock-on Effect (Part 1)

**A/N: Woo, this was an awkward chapter. I don't know why, but I feel like it turned out awkwardly. Oh well. XDDD Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and its half-hearted heist~! (Laughs) Also, I finally – finally – created a cover for this story! What do you guys think of it? It's a blend of pictures with Midori standing behind a chessboard – anyone recognize that as her internal one? XD – and there's some playing cards at the bottom and then behind Midori and the chessboard is Conan, slightly faded out, since I wanted to make it look like he was in a different environment (different world). And the "shhhh" pose that they're making was just a nice touch! XDD (you can see Heiji briefly in the corner and I feel like that just is, like, the extra sprinkles you always wanted! Pretty happy with how it turned out. XD) Anyways, enjoy?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama. **

Chapter Forty Seven; Lucid Nightmare Arc

I left early in the morning when dawn was just arriving, quietly sneaking out of the Koizumi household, leaving a note on the table. If I had stayed there for breakfast, I just knew that seeing the witch again so soon would've made me feel indescribably awkward after my foot-in-mouth the other night. So, my solution was to sneak out when I woke up, but since I hadn't received any sleep – like I'd predicted –, I just decided to leave when the sun came up.

So, it was about six-thirty in the morning and I was currently holed up in The Den. The first day of November brought a cold light from the windows and a light, chilling, breeze, but I was comfortable in the little shack of a building. I rested in my safe room, sitting in the leather chair. A laptop Akako had given me earlier in the week was booting up on the desk as I sat in the barely-lit room, light falling in from the open door. The lack of windows in the room didn't really help, but, oh well.

I bit my lip, feeling eyes disappear from the back of my head and I relaxed, pulling a notebook on the desk closer to me and flipping it open. It was my DC notes, as I figured carrying them around all over the place would _probably_ get me in trouble sooner or later. Yeah, no thanks…

I flipped forward in the pages, marking down that I had changed yet again into 'Midori' yesterday and would be doing it again today. The slanted line in the corner of the pages was basically unnoticeable and looked unimportant. I was quite proud of my notes, actually. They were detailed and emphasized with different colored ink and recorded my whole process since I've been here – if anyone got their hands on these notes, I'd basically be in the palm of their hands, and so I had decided to take precaution measures.

My pen glided across the page easily despite the greyness of dawn, writing out my experience with the Koizumi clan. I paused when I reached the part with Yuudai, deciding to not write out what I had asked of him – again, if anyone found this book, then it wouldn't be a safe hold anymore and it could be used against me. I set the pen down, watching it roll off to the side and collide with the computer's vent for the fans and a frown twisted at my mouth.

Akako's mother had been killed.

The revealed fact had been spinning around my mind, begging for attention, but I had held off any analysis of the situation – it felt oddly like prying and even though I was a pretty nosy person, this one left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. Probably due to the fact that she hadn't just _died_ – she'd been _killed_. It wasn't pity I felt for Akako or anything like sympathy or empathy – I didn't know the feeling and I knew better than to fool myself into thinking I did – but there was a feeling quelling into the pit of my stomach that slowly rose and rose until it was stuck in the base of my throat. It was something like rage that bubbled just beyond the surface – just out of reach; _too_ out of reach to comprehend.

I shook the thoughts away, pulling my cellphone out of my pocket to look for a distraction. Giving little heed to the time it was, I shot Erise a quick text. _Good morning~! How have you been, darling~? 3 I hope the police weren't too rude with their questioning. If they did, they'll be sorry! :(_

I stifled a grin at my playful behavior as I clicked my phone shut and put it on the desk. Sure, I was a bit anxious since the last time I'd spoken to Erise was the day of that crime – The Cowardly Culprit, I had decided to dub it proudly – and when she found out I had two names, but I had missed her. And she was a good distraction from pondering on Akako's mother. I sighed to myself, realizing I was having a lot of problems lately – a stalker, Heiji finding out, Erise being very close to figuring out, Akako's mother's death being pitched in my face, not to mention that I have a heist tonight and still needed to scout the place out. I closed my eyes at the oncoming headache.

I jumped when my phone buzzed on the table and my eyes flew open and I reached for it, flipping it open, happy to see it was indeed Erise who had replied. Stress melted away – I had always felt better with friends beside me if I was stressed out. Of course, I hadn't really had anything to stress about in my world, but it was something I had discovered over time; though, I could deal with stress fairly well. I was the level-headed one in the family, while my mom and sister would both blow a cow over every little thing.

_Midori-chan~! 3 Its good to hear from you again! Been busy this week? I've been great! I aced my math test this week, so I'm pretty happy! And they weren't~ They were a lot more considerate now that they knew I wasn't the bad guy. xD You never did come, so I was curious if you had your interview at a different time…? _

A grin quirked on my face as my hands slowly – awkwardly – typed out the response. _Yeah, been pretty book lately. Family reunions and I had a cold. . That's great! Erise-chan is so smart! We should go out to celebrate! :D And good! Actually, now that you mention it…they never called me in… o.O Weird. _

_Really_ weird, I mused, raising a brow at the oddity after I sent the message. Maybe they felt like it wasn't necessary, since I'd come after the original murder had happened? Probably, I decided, not wanting to have to think about another thing. My eyes turned to the waiting computer screen, which had gone blank since I hadn't touched it in a while, and I ran a finger over the mouse pad, bringing the screen back to life – the login screen appeared.

I quickly typed in the password and hit ENTER, greeted by the background screen of the desktop that I'd set it as – a picture of a grey wolf in the snow, about to take a drink from a river before it noticed the photographer. It was a really pretty picture that I'd found online and decided to keep as the desktop. I moved the mouse on the screen to the Internet Explorer icon on the taskbar, double clicking it with ease. The new window popped up, taking its time to load. Usually, one would think I wouldn't have internet connection in this place, but Akako had told me it was already connected, which was convenient, to say the least.

My phone buzzed with a new message. _Ohhhh, family reunions~! How'd that go? I'm glad your cold is gone! Colds suck. . And a celebration just for acing a math test? xDDDD And that's strange... Maybe they forgot, lol. xDDD _

Glancing at it briefly, I clicked the search bar on the computer, typing up the name of tonight's heists museum swiftly. I clicked the search button before going back to my phone as the page loaded swiftly – from just the short seconds, it already had 27,000 results.

_It went…well. I suppose, lol. And yes! Celebrating is always fun! Nothing wrong with celebrating small things! XD We should grab a bite to eat – on me, math ace-r! And maybe… XD _

My attention turned back to the computer and I clicked the first link that had shown up on Google, which was the museum's official website. I chewed on my thumb nail absently, scrolling down the page, eyes darting to and fro. The website was plain as plain could be – the designer obviously hadn't put much effort into it and instead focused on giving you the correct information for it. And while the site was so inexplicably boring looking that I immediately wanted to click the back button, I surged forward, quickly locating the museum hours.

The Beika Museum opened at ten AM on Saturdays and closed five PM and since it was the first Saturday of the week, the general admission was free due to some company funding them. I kinda remember a museum doing that somewhere near where I used to live, grinning at the prospect of getting in without paying. I admit my bad luck was _definitely _balanced out with the amount of convenient things I came across, which I was immensely thankful for.

My concentration broke as my phone, instead of buzzing, let out the familiar tune of James Bond – Erise had decided to call. After a split second of hesitation, I answered. "Hello, Ri-chan~!" I hummed, earning a laugh from the other side. "_Hello, Mi-chan~!_" Erise echoed back with an amused tone, "_Since you so kindly offered to take me out for breakfast, how about we go to Poirot? It's in Beika, but it isn't that far and the food is great! It's pretty cheap, too._" She tacked on for good measure. We'd known each other long enough for her to know I mostly went for cheap food – quality tasted better if you paid less for it, in my mind.

"Oh, Poirot, huh?" I snickered, very familiar with her choice of restaurant, "Sounds good." I glanced at the computer screen, "And…hey, you want to go to the Beika Museum while we're at it? Might as well and today's free since it's the first Saturday of the month, so…," I trailed, waiting for her answer as I rested the phone between my chin and shoulder, hand going back to the mouse pad so that I could exit out of the webpage. Almost immediately, I clicked the documents icon on the taskbar, the small window popping up.

Erise hummed over the line, thinking it over. I could hear some pages turning and figured she was looking through her daily schedule – I had seen her use it once or twice before. If there was anything I knew about Erise, it was that she loved to be busy; not in the uptight, everything-has-to-be-done-in-a-certain-time kind of way, but more of an energetic, upbeat, I'd-like-to-do-all-this-today sort of way. I clicked documents and scrolled down the list of notepad files I'd created within the short time I'd had the computer, all titled with dates. My finger tapped against the metal framing of the computer rhythmically while I decided what I wanted to do.

I clicked one open, dated October 29th, 2012, and almost immediately, my fingers pressed down the familiar CTRL and N, the small entry disappearing to give me a new notepad. The cursor blinked at the starting point as Erise began to speak again, "_I can fit it in today! We can go there after we eat breakfast~! I've always wanted to go to Beika Museum, but all my other friends thought it would be boring, so I'm glad you asked, Midori-chan! Sometimes, it feels like you can read my mind!_" She laughed brightly and I grinned, chuckling, as she went on, "_But, breakfast first! I'm starving. Last night, mom wasn't there to cook since she went with some of her friends to an onsen and my dad and I aren't that great at cooking, so we made microwavable meals._"

"Microwavable meals aren't too bad." I interjected in the short moment as she took a breath, tone amused. Kaito and I ate microwavable meals quite often and they were filling enough. Her pout was practically tangible. "_I know, but still. I wanted to go to the onsen with her and she didn't take me, since it was still the school week when she left. They went to an outdoor onsen at Nakanoshima in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama. We should go there sometime together! It looks really nice~!_"

My hands flew across the keyboard as I typed out a short message detailing that I had a heist tonight and that I'd be celebrating with Erise at breakfast and then scouting out the building with her as my companion. My mind recognized the name, "Nachikatsuura? That's in Higashimuro district, right?" If I remembered correctly…

"_Yup! So? Would you go with me next summer? You'll still be here, right? I mean, you and your family came here from America, but you never mentioned if you were just visiting, or…_," She trailed curiously before picking up once again, "_Plus, it's in the Kansai region, close to Osaka!_" I blinked at the randomly tacked on fact, saving the notepad file as _November 1__st__, 2012_. That done, I clicked the documents folder shut and logged out of the computer, shutting it down. The wolf picked blinked off to display a boring blue screen while it shut off.

"I'm…not sure, Erise-chan." I commented, at a loss. Would I still be here next summer? If so, that'd mean I'd been here for almost a year and once it reached August… I bit my lip. Once the screen blacked out, I shut it gently and pushed it to the corner of the mahogany desk pensively. "But…," I hesitated for a moment, "But, if I'm still here, we'll definitely go!" I finished, feeling like a weight had just lifted off my chest. I suddenly felt much better and I let out a sigh of relief as I slumped in the chair tiredly. Perhaps pulling an all-nighter was a bad idea….

"Okay! I'll keep you to that, Midori-chan!" She warned playfully. "Anyways, we'll meet at the place just beyond the Teimuzu River where there's a Ferris wheel, okay? You know where that is, right?"

I gave a low hum in my throat as affirmative and she bid a quick goodbye, saying she'd be there around seven-thirty, since she still needed to get ready. I also bid a quick goodbye and we hung up respectively after one another, and I pocketed my phone, getting up to shut the door of the safe room to change into Midori.

A sudden thought hit me in a flash and I paused for a split second, eyes widening as I thought of the possibility. Unseen, a vindictive smirk crawled on my lips.

ooOOoo

Beika Museum was a large building, with several floors and lots of precious things ranging from paintings, to gems, to ancient artifacts and vintage vases. And unlike my first heist building, I knew that this building in particular didn't have the crappy security that my first heist building did. Erise walked beside me as we travelled through the museum, a brochure that had the map to the building in my hands as we went around, gazing in awe at the things around.

"Woah…," Erise paused in front of a specific painting in amazement and I froze mid-step, eyes darting up to see a vent entrance big enough for entering just above the picture. Quickly, I fished out a blue sharpie from my pocket and created a tiny dash where it began – there were already a few other marks on the other pages (other floors) of the brochure and once I got back to The Den, I'd make sure to connect them in the most realistic way possible to chart out the system.

That done, I turned to see what painting she was looking at. It was quite dark in color, greys and blacks dominating most of the canvas while a murky golden sheen like fog spread across the background, a woman in the middle, capturing attention. It was hard to believe the woman was a painting, looking more like an impossibly beautiful real human. Her skin was a pale white, shadowed with grey and long black hair fell down her back gracefully. She was dressed in a gothic-style black dress that tumbled down to the wilderness' floor, golden silk highlighting places on the dress magically.

Golden butterflies flew in the background – that was a mix between looking like a wasteland and a majestic nature scene – and the woman's left hand was extending outwards, a golden apple that seemed to be emitting some type of magical fog in her hand, Greek wording above. However, despite all this, the woman's expression was a dead giveaway to what was actually evil – or, at least, unpleasant – intentions. The smile on her face looked nice enough, but it had an underlying tone of sinister-ness as her eyes looking to her right, staring at something out of view.

I found myself grinning and I glanced down to the nameplate as Erise continued to look, sky eyes tracing the lines of the paint. _The Apple of Discord _was proudly presented on the fake gold plate and I blinked in surprise. I glanced at the painting once more before chuckling – what a coincidence to see a painting of Eris in this museum while scouting for a heist.

I pulled out a purple marker to make a quick note to myself on the brochure with a sly smirk, feeling amused as Erise and I finally left from the painting to travel more along the path of more paintings.

ooOOoo

"By the way, I've been wondering…," I began, hand slipping into the pocket of my low drop camouflage pants. I pulled out the charm Ryo gave me, the silver twirling as it hung on the black string carelessly, as I showed it to Akako, who was sitting across the table. I was currently back at her house for lunch – Erise and I had parted ways after looking through the whole museum – and I was still feeling a bit awkward, but Akako seemed to be back to her usual self. Fiery red eyes took in the metal, tracing the intricate design that reminded me oddly of an old-fashioned apartment building.

I placed the rectangular-shaped charm on the table, taking another bite of the kuri-gohan Akako's butler had made earlier. "What's this for? Ryo-kun told me that it would come in handy." I finished.

Akako quirked an amused brow, "It figures that imbecile would help you with your idiotic career choice." She murmured, lips upturned in a smirk. My brows rose in curiosity as I grabbed the string once more to pull it closer, wondering what the charm was for. What career choice? I was only thirteen – I wouldn't be working anytime soon; wasn't even old enough to.

"That's the 1st Pentacle of the Moon. It opens all locks and doors, no matter how they're fastened." She explained half-heartedly and it suddenly made a lot more sense as to what she meant by idiotic career choice. "Ohh…,"

I took another bite of the autumn dish. "So, how'd he know I was a thief? It's not exactly something I advertise." I said once I finished swallowing, also finishing the food on my plate.

"Minoru-kun probably told him about it. He made you pick a card, didn't he? At that time, he probably also took a peek at your soul to see if he could help with anything." She answered. I stiffened as an unpleasant chill went down my spine – "What do you _mean_ peeked into my _soul_?" I squeaked and she narrowed her eyes in amusement, finishing off her food elegantly and pushing the plate to the side. As if on cue, her demon butler immediately took both of our empty plates and headed to the sink to begin washing them.

"I mean what I said. Some witches or warlocks can look into someone's soul. Minoru-kun has the ability to do that, at a low-scale. Hayato-kun can do it, as well, and he tends to use it as a vice to whether or not he should trust the person. That's probably why he acted strange at first." She chuckled somewhat sinisterly as I sighed to myself, face palming. "You know, Akako-neesan…your family is too confusing. So many things happened at once and now you're telling me that not only is a gem _bonded_ with my soul, but someone _looked_ at it?" My incredulousness didn't last for long as Akako shot back, "Stranger things have happened."

And, once she said that, both of us knew quite clearly that she was the winner of this battle of wits.

ooOOoo

My outfit was on, my pouch on my belt was stocked with as much things it could hold, my card gun was tucked safely in my left boot, and the blueprints of the museum were folded up and tucked safely in my pocket – I was basically ready to go. I glanced at the mirror, carefully applying the black eye shadow around the whole of my eyes, making me look like a panda – or like someone had just slugged both of my eyes, but whatever. The eye shadow – color 10: let's do the moonwalk and 11: wild at heart, metallic effect, respectively – made my eyes look completely different and I think it looked a bit…_sinister_.

Brown now looked like a hazy black and I gave a sharp grin, happy with the result that would serve to keep my identity under wraps. Carefully, I grabbed my white mask, putting it on and taking another look in the tiny mirror. As expected, the black stood stark against the white of the mask and in the darkness, it'd probably look like someone had gouged my eyes out – I chuckled as I thought of the reactions I'd probably get before they got a closer look. I placed on my fedora, securing the hairclips that kept it up.

"Showtime~!"

ooOOoo

The heist building was under security that was most definitely tighter than the previous heist, but it wasn't yet up to par with Kaitou KID heists – thank goodness. Getting in would be easier than getting out, I could tell. Guards were placed strategically around the building, blocking off all doors, but I hadn't planned to go through them anyways. No, this time, I planned to go in through a window – a risky course of action, but, well, if you're going to be a thief, might as well do it right, right?

My eyes narrowed at the blueprints, taking in where the little orange dots littered across the web-gloss pages. There was an opening in the front, double doors – a large entrance – and there was a backdoor for workers and janitors along with four emergency exits placed on all sides of the building. The good thing about entering through a window in this place was that they were _everywhere_. The whole exterior was basically made of glass with the occasional interjection of brick.

As casually as possible – and as quietly – I headed over to one of the window-walls, black cloak pulled over me, heart practically beating out of my chest as I realized that I was smack-dab in between two guards, one who was guarding the emergency exit to my left and the other who was guarding the main entrances left side to my right. I swallowed thickly, putting the brochure back into my pocket and unzipping the pouch slowly. I winced at the zipping sound before hurriedly setting to work, taking out the miniature drill from before.

I took a steadying breath, knowing that this would have to be quick because despite the screwdriver-drill being decently quiet, there was no way both guards _wouldn't_ hear it. Throwing all those thoughts down the proverbial drain, I quickly switched the drill on and slammed the sharp base into the glass. Pieces of the thick glass rained down as I focused on drilling through, my heart jumping into my throat when footsteps sounded in a hurried pace towards me.

"Come on, come on, _come on_…," I mumbled frantically, pushing all my weight into it, rewarded with the glass cracking, spiraling outwards from the 'puncture point' like spider webs – at the crackling sound, more footsteps sounded from my right. Figuring there was no time to wait for it to further crack and weaken, I pulled back the drill, flicking it off and stuffing it back in my pouch before taking steps back. Readying myself for the ensuing shoulder pain, I took another breath of chilled air and surged forward.

My shoulder impacted with the place I had drilled roughly, jarring my body – and I just _knew_ that would bruise later – but rewarding me with a loud cracking noise as the glass shattered around me, nicking my cheek harmlessly as I continued forward, not bothering to wait. Shouts sounded behind me and I let out a manic grin of accomplishment, pushing my shoulder pain out of my mind for the time being as my eyes adjusted to the darkness.

I skidded across the hall and there were suddenly _a lot_ more people in the dim building, all making grabs that I avoided haphazardly. My mind screamed at me to turn back – survival instinct, I suppose – but my body told me to keep running forward, to get what I was here for, and to get the freak _out_! Outrunning the guards was somewhat easy, given I was probably way younger than all of them, and before I knew it, I was in a dark hall alone.

My back connected with the wall behind me as flashlights neared just beyond the corner. I held my breath pensively, hoping that they couldn't hear my heart pumping adrenaline into my veins. My eyes were wide, stinging as I didn't blink, listening to the police shuffle around nearby.

"Did she go this way?" One of them questioned in a deep voice – a shiver ran down my spine as I fought the urge to turn tail. If I moved, they would know which way I went and there was _no freakin' vents_ in this hall! Something about the voice sounded oddly familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint it…

"No, that hall is a dead end. Let's go back to the front, maybe she's there…damn thief…," The voices faded as they decided to go back to the front and I let out a soundless sigh of relief, feeling my legs tremble for a moment before I steadied them. Now was not the time to back out – I'd done this once, I could do it again!

Quietly, I pulled out the brochure, sliding down the wall to sit in a small huddle on the ground of the hall. There was no blue marks for vents, but I easily made out the spot where the gem was displayed. I was actually quite close to it, probably unconsciously heading towards it in my blind scramble to escape the guards – I mean, I should really pay more attention; I had hid in a _dead end_…

I listened for any telling sounds of people, but found none, so I carefully slid out of my crouch and carefully headed in the direction of the gem slowly, eyes wide in the darkness. The fabric glued to my shoes made little sounds as I shuffled around and I paused at the sight of a familiar painting, looking creepy in the darkness. The woman's eyes looked like they were _glowing_. I grimaced at the creepy sight – and it was strange that ti was so beautiful during the day, but so creepy this late – and pulled out a slip of paper, taping it on the wall next to the painting. At the mischief, my grimace quickly turned into a shark-grin.

Leaving, I peeked around the corner and once it was deemed safe, I slipped into the room. It was kind of stupid that they didn't have anyone on guard here, but maybe they had and the guard had left to search, too. I rolled my eyes at their idiocy, glad they made the mistake but hoping that next time they wouldn't. There was only so much you could take before you lost hope in humanity. I stifled a chuckle and walked confidently to the podium in the middle of the room, the DeLong Star Ruby innocently sitting in its casing.

With one more furtive glance around the room, I pulled on a string around my neck, pulling the silver charm that Ryo gave me out of my shirt collar. I watched with amazed eyes as the lock on the display case quickly and quietly clicked open, not even setting off any alarms. Oh, Ryo, you're amazing! I'd definitely have to thank him for this!

My hand dropped the charm, letting it rest against my collarbone once more, and I reached forward with gloved hands to pull off the bulletproof case. Swiftly, I snatched it out of the case, wrapping it in the cloak from earlier (which I had taken off sometime while running from the guards) and zipping the pouch back up.

Wondering why it was so quiet – it was kinda freaky – I carefully headed out of the building, not even encountering one guard, strangely enough. It left my feeling with a sick, dreading feeling as I walked out of the front doors, not one person showing up or running after me. Despite being safely out of the building, I broke into a cold sweat, unnerved by the turn of events. I had honestly thought I would have to run up the stairs again for an exit from a higher floor, but it seemed unnecessary now.

Just as I was scurrying down an empty alley in the quieter than quiet night, a voice spoke up from behind me and I froze, feeling a lump grow in my throat. I _know _this voice…

"Aw, isn't stealing bad, kitten?" The voice was deep yet smooth, an sneer obvious in the tone. My spine straightened as an uncomfortable feeling travelled down my neck to the base of my back and all the way down to my legs, which didn't seem to want to move suddenly. I tried to control my panic, forcing myself to swallow down the lump in my throat and to _act calm_. I couldn't let him know I was scared. After all, he would probably _enjoy_ that and I would rather be _eaten alive_ by piranhas than _please_ the creeper.

I cleared my throat conspicuously, "Aren't you a little late at jumping in...," Not wanting my back turned to the dangerous man, I swiveled on my heel, my arms crossing defensively across my chest. My eyes easily spotted the other person in the dark alley, focusing on the three glowing, red, orbs formed in a triangle where his eyes should've been. They spun once and I absently wondered if they were programed to do that every few minutes before pushing it out of my mind because at the moment _that wasn't important_.

Despite the perilous situation, a cocky grin spread on my lips as I realized my out-there theory was _right_. Something burned in my pocket, pressed down on my leg like a hot coal, and my heart started at a frantic pace. The man _smirked_, as if he could _hear it – and my gosh! I had to get out of here! What was I doing chatting with him?! – _and the rest of his body blended in with the dark background, as he was dressed in all black. His name flew from my lips like acid and I knew that I had to acknowledge him now that I had said his name. There was no going back now. Hopefully my knowledge could get me out of this one – but I doubted it.

"…Spider_._"

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – Yeah… (Winces) But, since she's Akako she recovered quick enough. XD Though, it'll probably be still really awkward for Midori. And I guess I can give you a little hint, since someone else asked to, and I don't want to be a complete jerk~! XDDD (not that the hint is going to be a **_**good **_**hint, but… -shrugs- ) *grins evilly in Kaito's direction* Heyyyy, Kaito-kun~ Can you come here for a moment~? XDDD And yup, there was a heist this chapter! But, it was really half-hearted, since not much happened during the heist itself, but it's more important what happens **_**after**_** the heist. XDD Hope it wasn't disappointing. (and if it was, I hope it can be compensated with the next chapter XD) (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! 8DDD**

**To: Meow-chan-15 – Yup! Kaito is too awesome to deny! 8DDDD And, yes, in a sense. The thought within itself is interesting and it would be awesome, but the events that would occur in its wake wouldn't be very pleasant. When I say going to another dimension would be awesome, I mean it in the sense of it actually happening, since it would be such a fantastical event (dimension travel! 8O), but the consequences **_**wouldn't **_**be awesome. XD And thank you, please do! Those darn bugs are very irritating. XDDD Aw, it'll get better for her~! (I'm so dispassionate for the character. XDDD) Oh, I could do that. (Nods) I think it would help a lot, but I need to stop being lazy and jut write it. XD I'm not sure if I should post it on this story, though. Maybe at the end, or at an interjection between chapters? (though, it annoys me when people do that, so… XDDD) I was planning on putting profiles at the end of this story for all the OC characters, since it could become confusing with mixing them all together, so. Yeah. XD As for the "love" thing, it just depends on how you look at it. If they do like-like her it will probably not be expanded on, but more hinted at or something, since I feel like having a relationship with someone in the Detective Conan world would just complicate things more for Midori, so I've been avoiding it. But, it's possible that someone~ ( - glances at Minoru - ) **_**might**_** like her. It's just how you see it, really. XDD Other than that, though, a lot of Akako's family is a lot older than her, so it'd be kinda strange if certain people liked her. XDDDD Thank you! 8D Hope you liked this chapter! ^^ **

**To: MagicMilkbone – Thank you! I'm glad you liked how I used her – I was worried about getting her character wrong. XDDD And thanks! Once I heard split personality, it was the first thing to come to my mind. XD As for her mother, she unfortunately is still sick… (Feels Bad) But! I'll make up for that! (Guilty Grin) And I made her like that, yeah. XDD I'm glad I could portray that well enough! ^^ And she will~! Midori has a soft side for people who are misunderstood. Thank you! I try to do a decent amount of research for each chapter, to give it some depth. XDD And I'll put a hint at the bottom, since you're the second person who asked for a hint~! XDDD And yes~! I love heists, so hopefully this one wasn't too disappointing, since its more focused on what happens **_**after**_** the heist rather than **_**at**_** the heist. XDD As for Kaitou KID, he'll be showing up soonnn~ (Grins) And he'll be stealing the Black Pearl actually really soon, I'm surprised. I just counted how many cases are left and there's only three more cases that Midori/Alice will be involved in before the Black Pearl heist! 8O I'm (pleasantly) surprised! XDD And don't worry, Ayala wasn't the cause of my writer's block. ^^ I just had a hard time with that chapter for some reason – Ayala actually helped me get unstuck when I was like, "my gosh, what the heck am I gonna do here?" and low-and-behold, Ayala~! So, thank you for letting me use your wonderful OC. o^^o **

**-Seems like everything was long replies today, but meh. XD Long replies for the win! I love socializing with my readers! ^^ And since two of you asked for it, here's the hint~! **

"**Hayato's Language Hint: It's spoken in Europe!"**

**(Laughs) Come on, you didn't expect a good hint from me, did you? XDDD I'm sure you all know by now (or I'd hope you do) that I'm a troll that likes to withhold information~! XDDDDDD (Coughs) Anyways, yup. That's the hint. XD **

**Note(s):**

**Kuri-gohan (Chestnut Rice) – Chestnuts are called 'kuri' in Japanese and are harvested in the fall for the people of Japan, as opposed to how chestnuts are usually known as a winter food here in America. Kuri-gohan is a popular Japanese autumn dish which consists of steamed rice with chestnuts. **

**-see you next time~! (Waves)Did anyone expect that plot twist? XDD (Curious)  
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	48. (LN) The Knock-on Effect (Part 2)

**A/N: This was fun~! Hope Spider's not too horribly OOC, but well. –shrugs– If he is, I have an excuse. XDDD Hope you enjoy? ^^ Also, warning: this contains confusing explanations! Hope you don't get confused. XDDDD **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) **

Chapter Forty Eight; Lucid Nightmare Arc

"…_Spider." _

There, I'd said it. I'd acknowledged his existence. My mouth went dry a second later, earlier confidence at being right flying out the window faster than I could say 'oh, crap!'. My body tensed in heightened awareness as he shifted just the slightest. The red orb-like eyes had never looked very intimidating on-screen – in fact, I had thought Spider's whole outfit was quite ridiculous – but now they looked blood-chilling, glowing back at me as the only part of his body that I could see at the moment, other than the lower half of his face. The eyes and outfit in the darkness in real life made him look like a monster straight out of a story book. And his smirk _wasn't_ helping in the least.

He waited for a moment to see if I had something more to say, my mouth opened a bit to take ragged breaths, the cold air burning down my dry throat. After a minute – that felt like an eternity – his smile grew, the shadows of the darkness making it twist more sinister than he probably intended – or, maybe that _was_ his plan, since he probably knew _exactly _what he was doing.

A shuffling noise echoed through the alley as I took an instinctive step backwards, slowly and unhelpfully. I shut my mouth, teeth clacking together as they clenched, and I focused on regulating my breath because if I passed out of _hyperventilation_ in front of him, I'd _never_ live it down. Possibly _literally_, too.

He finally spoke up, tone lilting in a way that got under my skin, an indescribable fingers-on-chalkboard ring to it despite it not sounding anything similar to that. "At a loss for words, kitten? Did you not expect me to show up – you seemed to know who it was, though, so maybe you were just denying reality…," He trailed in a mocking way and my brow twitched, whether in fear or irritation, I didn't know.

He paused to take a dramatically long breath before his hands moved out in placating gesture, barely visible. "But don't worry, I won't hurt you." He stated, smirk lessening just a bit, as if to give comfort. It didn't. A scowl twisted on my lips and my arms quivered, wrapping around my torso protectively in a gesture that could've been mistaken as being cold. Tonight _was _cold, but I was wearing layers and despite my sleeves only going down to my elbows, it was enough to keep me warm, so if he wasn't here, the night wouldn't warrant such measures.

"Sure," I scoffed, "The only reason you won't kill me is probably because you'd die if you did so, right?" Despite him probably already knowing who I was, I found an odd comfort in deepening my voice to 'Jester's'; it gave me the confidence to spar verbally with him, even if I was still rooted to the spot in fear.

"Oh, so you figured that out." He hummed and he walked forward with a grace I could only dream of having. Once he was closer, I realized that not only was his outfit's creepiness not look great on-screen, but his size was also downgraded from there, too – at the moment, he towered over me, obviously much taller. 5'9, or 6'1 – no, maybe even taller; I couldn't make an accurate guess with my mind as frazzled as it was.

"Of course I did. You're non-canon, so…," I coughed lightly, leaning away as he leaned closer into my personal space. My gosh, those orbs were _unnerving_! "…so, you…shouldn't even exist." I finished unsteadily. He chuckled deeply in his throat, thankfully stepping away from me a bit as I threatened to tip over backwards. As it was, I lost my balancing, stumbling back a couple of steps and crashing into a trashcan, sending it plummeting to the ground with a loud crash as its contents fell onto the concrete below. Thankfully, though, I was able to regain balance before I tumbled onto my butt in the middle of trash.

I shuddered, letting out a huff of breath as regaining a defensive stance. At least there was some distance between us thanks to my clumsiness, I mused internally. Once again, he laughed in his mocking way. "You seem to forget that _you_ shouldn't exist here, either." He pointed a gloved hand at me, "Yet here you are, at this very moment. With _me_." The last word was hissed out and I felt like a child all over again, the way adults seemed to think children didn't understand complex things clear. That feeling was practically being _shoved_ down my throat by this arachnid maniac.

I suddenly felt a lot _smaller _next to him and it had _nothing_ to do with height.

My temper flared up despite that – if there was one thing I _despised_, it was being _belittled_. Of course, since I'm younger, I don't understand all the diverse aspects of the world, but I wasn't _clueless_ – it's not like I wouldn't _learn_ and it's not like I had no _common sense_, yet there would always be this _one person_ who thinks they are higher than you – higher than _everyone_. Anger bubbled in my chest and before I knew it, angry words were spilling out of my mouth like hot coal – _bitter_.

"_It's not like I wanted to be here_! And _you_ weren't supposed to happen! The only reason you're _alive_ at this very moment is because of _me_! You should be _grateful _that I don't just find a way to _kill you_, _you_–!" Yelling with a dry throat wasn't a good idea and I was now suffering the consequences, sentence cut off as a coughing fit ensued. Once it subdued, I cleared my throat noisily, eyes averted from Spider in embarrassment. Some _threatening _– I'd royally screwed it up.

I froze as a hand patted my back gently, but the hand was so cold that I could feel it through my layers, chilling the skin and sinking in like frostbite. It spread with the feel of spiders creeping along my skin. I grimaced, my shoulders pulling up and tensing, hunched to protect my neck. The glowing red orbs were right beside my face now, staring me down. "Now, now, don't hurt yourself." His teeth flashed in a derisive smile, "Wouldn't want you getting hurt."

I scoffed. "You wouldn't really care. You'd probably be glad to get rid of the only person who currently knows of you." The factoid that I really _was_ the only person who currently knew about him hit me in the face – since he hadn't tried to kill KID, Kaito didn't know about him, and since Spider didn't exist before I got here, Saguru also didn't know about him; I hadn't even told Akako about my hunches, since I wasn't certain. The only person who knew who Spider was was _me_. And I was currently right next to him.

He removed his hand from my back – thank goodness! – and paced to stand in front of me once more. "Probably true, but it'd be a shame…," I raised an eyebrow, wanting him to elaborate what would 'be a shame'. "Since if you died, I'd die, too." He finished with another smirk, stating the already stated fact. I felt the innate need to shove his head into the nearest wall. My fingers twitched.

"I'm curious. When did you figure out it was me?" He took a step back to look at me speculatively. I could imagine his eyes narrowing behind his mask in interest. My shoulders relaxed the slightest when I realized he probably wasn't going to suddenly jump at me and kill me – I had an _advantage_ over him. To him, I was _untouchable_.

"It was actually kind of a long shot, truthfully. I hadn't really thought it was you, until this morning. A…friend of mine told me something that made me think quite a bit…and I remembered something that led me to the conclusion that it could possibly be you." I answered. Akako telling me her mother had been killed had sent my thoughts in a tangent and I had realized that, maybe, just maybe, her mother had been killed in a witch-hunt. With that, I had remembered the scene with Akako and Spider in a Magic Kaito special episode. It had been an out-there theory, but it had been surprisingly right. I hadn't doubted it much, though – for some reason, I had just _known_ it was him.

He gave a hum, leaning against the wall of the alley, "You wrote your heist note before this morning. Did you invite your 'stalker' without even knowing who it was?" He sounded incredibly amused by my logic. I scowled, readjusting my position, wondering why there were no police sirens in the background. I hadn't noticed before, but now it was quite obvious the night was silent despite me having stolen the ruby.

"When he was following me at all times since my heist, even when I was at school or with friends, it was about time he needed to be taken care of." I replied through clenched teeth, irritation returning from remembering all those times I'd purposely walked home alone or went straight home or the feeling of eyes tracing my steps. It had been annoying and it had heightened my paranoia considerably. The feeling started right after my first heist, when I woke up. Of course, I had shrugged it off then, but it eventually became obvious that someone _was _watching me.

"And what did you do to the police? There's no way that they just went on a random coffee break by chance." I hissed, worried for the officers. I'd invited him to my heist not knowing who he was and it could've possibly cost the lives of innocent bystanders. The thought left a welling pit in my stomach like acid. If he'd killed them…

"Don't worry, they're alive and well, kitten. I wouldn't kill anyone without a reason." The smile on his face said otherwise and my eyes narrowed in a fierce glare. At the look, he continued, "And don't give me that face – you know very well that if I kill anyone, it's because of you." I blanched at his analysis of the situation and before I knew it, my hand had gripped his arm to pull him forward before slamming him back into the wall he'd been leaning against. He followed my movements like a ragdoll, but it didn't seem to affect him.

"If you kill _anyone_, I'll personally _shave your head_, goldilocks!" I barked, only getting another deep chuckle in return. He laughed _way_ too much for my liking – it unnervingly reminded me of myself. And that thought made me feel cold all over again.

"Shaving my head won't do anything, kitten–" "–and _quit_ calling me that! It's _creepy_!" "–after all, in all of your memories, I have a head full of hair." I clicked my tongue at his blatant ignoring of my order but released his arm, crossing my arms again. I was still glaring bullets at him, but my fascination got the better of me.

"Is that how it works? Everything I remember about you in my memories, you will be?" I questioned, feeling a bit awkward at having a seemingly normal conversation with him. It was civil enough and it gave me a weird feeling that I was doing something wrong, but after the initial shock and fear, having a conversation with him wasn't too hard. Especially since I knew he couldn't hurt me. If it wasn't for that, I would probably still be paralyzed in fear.

His head tilted in a fashion that made the light from the red orbs flash across the brick wall on the other side for a brief moment. It illuminated the dark space before disappearing, the darkness invading once again. "Not everything. What you remember about my appearance and most of my personality remains intact, but since I'm not actually the real Spider, only a being appearing to be Spider, things are different. For instance, that _ridiculous _organization has nothing to do with my current version."

"_A being_…? So, are you saying that you're not human like the Spider from the show?" It was obvious now that he knew a lot more about me than I had first thought. He even knew he was Spider, yet not Spider since he was created from my memories. It was also obvious that he knew that I wasn't from this dimension. _Great_ – the odds were being placed in _his_ favor now. If he was like Spider, but not Spider at the same time, I couldn't be sure what to expect from him. And the fact that he was and wasn't Spider was kind of confusing, as well. Why couldn't anything just have a normal explanation that _made sense_?

His lips curled up into a sideways grin that looked unpleasant and I noticed for the first time that his canines were a bit _longer_ than normal. I shuddered. "Originally, I was a regular spider. When you came into contact with me, however, all your thoughts and memories were place into my head to fix the anomaly you created. I'm not human, but I'm no longer a spider, either. I'm one of those void beings that bend to memories and thoughts and perspective. _Your_ perspective."

My brow furrowed as I processed the information. If that was right, then I had to have come across… "Oh…," I breathed out, remembering that little insignificant spider encounter as I had been entering Agasa's house. It had been unimportant and basically only five seconds – if even that long – but it had created…_him_. Suddenly, I felt like not only smashing _his_ head into the nearest wall, but _mine_ as well.

This was utterly ridiculous.

I blinked, "Wait a minute…if you aren't human that means you can probably do things that the original Spider couldn't do, so…," I took a defensive step away from him, realizing that despite him not being able to _physically_ counter me, he could certainly do it _mentally_. "Those _nightmares_. They were _you_, weren't they?" My tone was menacing and just a bit murderous as the words came from between clenched teeth as I bared them at him, thoroughly _displeased_ and _angry_.

He chuckled and stood up properly from the wall, probably sensing that I was about ready to make an aim for his 'family jewels' and wring his neck until he was begging for breath. No one – and I mean _no one_ – messed with my sleep! My hands twitched.

"That was me." He admitted with yet another derisive smirk, "The things you're afraid of are interesting. You're not cared of the dark, yet you always had a panicking reaction once someone you cared about came into the picture. You're perfectly fine being alone, yet you had a panicking reaction when faced with your alternate version. I meant no harm, really." Every word out of his mouth sounded like a big fat lie and I wondered why I had even bothered thinking he'd be able to be civilized – that _I _would be able to be civilized since he essentially had been stalking me for over a week.

"You're biggest fear was never returning home." He chimed, "You're afraid that you won't be able to find the gem or that someone else will find it first."

He narrowly avoided my fist as I lashed out at his _stupid face_ – I needed him to _shut up_. If he continued to unravel things, I would begin to feel helpless again and I still didn't know what the _heck_ he wanted from me! I wouldn't be of any use to him, so why was he _following_ me? This bastard had successfully written his (_stupid_ – I was being petty, I knew) name on my blacklist in permanent ink.

I swiveled on my heel to face him again, where he was standing in front of the trashcan I had toppled over earlier. He raised his hands in an offering gesture, "How about we make a bet? Whoever acquires the gem wins – loser has to face the consequences of failing to retrieve the gem." He sneered in a way that made it obvious he was confident in his win. My body trembled with adrenaline – the gem was obviously the one I was looking for, the one that would take me home. If _he_ got it first, who knows what he'd do to it?! Why did he even _want_ it?!

But, there wasn't much I could do, since he was probably going to go through with it either way. Despite my inner judgment screaming at me to say no, I said the complete opposite, offering him a feral grin that spread across my face unbidden. If he wanted a bet, then he'd _get_ one. "Fine by me, _goldilocks_. Be prepared to lose horribly." After all, I didn't exactly play fair when it came to things like this. If he wanted to be a jerk about it, I'd play as dirty as I needed to – he would _lose_. _I'd make sure of it_.

He flashed back a grin that mirrored mine – crooked and unpleasant – before suddenly lunging at me unexpectedly, earning a startled yelp. I tumbled backwards, a heavy coldness weighing me down, and my back connected with the concrete painfully, the back of my hand banging against the flooring since I hadn't seen his attack coming. I gasped for breath, trying to regain the breath that I'd lost when he'd fallen on top of me.

My legs struggled to untangle from his as his hands searched my pockets, leaving frostbitten trails in their wake. "Get the _fuck_ off me!" I shrieked, my hands banging his back powerfully and I heard him grunt as I struck the back of his neck with a fist. My boots scuffed across the ground and the zipping sound of my pouch alerted me that he was probably looking for the heist gem. Ignoring the coldness of his body, I moved my head ot his shoulder and vengefully bit down, breaking through skin by the metallic taste that filled my mouth after.

"You little–!" He shouted, pulling back to grasp his shoulder protectively. I spit out his blood, taking his momentarily lapse as opportunity to position one of my legs between his and knee his…well, you know. He doubled over and I quickly shoved him off of me, shuffling backwards with harsh breathing. My heart pounded in my ears as cold sweat dotted my face at the recent attack. Everything my mother had told me about not going or meeting strangers in dark alleys filled my head and I felt really _stupid_ for staying this long.

My hand came up to clutch the back of my head as my vision swam, remembering the way my head had hit the floor. Damn it, I hope that didn't give me a concussion… but, judging by my suddenly unbalanced legs, it freakin' had. A headache began to build up and my eyes squeezed shut as I tried to regain a semblance of balance and coordination so that I could get out of here while he was recovering. My hands trailed down to zip my pouch back up after feeling that he hadn't acquired the gem.

My small brawl victory was short-lived, however, and my eyes snapped open to see him getting off the ground, looking more or less unharmed. There was a darker patch on his shoulder that I could see in the dark, but other than that, he was unharmed…and he looked angry. His twisted grin from before was curled downwards into an equally unpleasant scowl. _Oops…_

I blinked in rapid succession as his figure split into two and I stumbled backwards unsteadily, back hitting a wall. My mind scrambled for an escape route, but I couldn't freakin' tell which one was the _real one_ and they were both on sides that trapped me between the two. And he was just getting closer and closer _and closer_…

Something skidded across the floor between us and suddenly, there was a bright flash that left me blinded, my hands reaching forward as if to grab Spider for reassurance strangely. Spider let out a curse and I jumped as a hand – a _warm _hand – covered my mouth, feeling of silk, and I was dragged somewhere aimlessly – I couldn't tell where I was or where I was going as my vision danced with black dots due to the flash.

But, somehow, I trusted whoever was leading me.

ooOOoo

I huffed for breath as my savior – or kidnapper, whichever one it was – finally stopped the dead sprint we'd been in and I doubled over, hands supporting me as I leaned on my knees. I blinked, vision finally returning. The other person seemed fine, though, breathing only a bit irregular. Then again, whoever it was probably didn't have a concussion. Shoes clicked by my side and I glanced over to see pure white shoes, practically glowing in the darkness, the parts of his pants that I could see were also of the color, the hem just above what looked like blue socks.

"Are you alright, ojou-san?" The tone was smooth and a bit deeper, but I definitely recognized it. And the clothing was also horribly familiar. Suddenly, that guard that had sounded somewhat familiar made a lot more sense as the voice clicked into place. _Don't tell me…_

I let out an exercise cough and cleared my throat, slowly bringing my head up, eyes trailing over a white silk suit, reaching a blue shirt and a red tie, and going upwards to meet the familiar bottom half of a face, the top half shadowed with the brim of a top hat and the left eye covered with a monocle that was reflecting light from…_somewhere_. He was smiling gently, one of his hands on my back to comfort me, or something.

"Kaitou KID…," I murmured, starstruck. I saw Kaito every day, but something about him when he was in KID's outfit made him seem infinitely _different_.

His smile lifted into a smirk. "The one and only. At your service, ojou-san." He tipped his top hat carefully in introduction.

_You've got to be kidding me_…

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – If you research enough, I'm sure you'll figure it out. XDD *snickers as Kaito's ensuing shrieks as I present him fish – **_**lots**_** of fish* XDDDDD Yay~! I'm glad you like it! 8DD I've been planning Spider's appearance for a while, basically since I started this whole story. XDDD Here's the next chapter~! (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! **

**To: Meow-chan-15 – (Laughs) Possibly… XDDD It's okay. XDD I know I forget names a lot, too, especially if it's in first-person. XD (Laughs) You read one where he dies? XDD I think that'd make me kinda depressed, since he's actually a fascinating character. XD And yes, he should watch his back~! XDDD And Conan in currently in Gunma with Yukiko. XDDD He's working on a case at the moment, lol. And yeah, the protagonist is a bit of a person who over thinks things and stuff. But, at least Akako's feeling better. XD; Thank you! Here's the next chapter! 8D **

**-whoo, this was fun, but hard. I feel like Spider's out-of-character, but he's **_**my **_**Spider, not the original, so it's a'ight! XDDD See you next time~! **


	49. (LN) The Knock-on Effect (Part 3)

**A/N: This was hard and it seemed so very anti-climatic, but whatever. XDD I just found it amusing that they both think they're playing the right cards. However, there's a possibility that it'll backfire on both, since I'm an evil author who controls this universe called Revolver! **_**Mwahahahahaha**_**! ….(Coughs) Anyways, enjoy? XD **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) **

Chapter Forty Nine; Lucid Nightmare Arc

I stared. And stared. And _stared_. For some odd reason, I _knew_ he was there, but it just wasn't registering as _real_. The moonlight glinted off the white silk of his outfit, making him glow in an ethereal, otherworldly, way – he looked like some majestic being that I was being graced with his presence. I felt like if I reached out to grab him, he'd disappear. Then, finally, I reacted.

Laughter poured out of my mouth and I leaned forward, pressing my face to the cool ground underneath me as I manically continued to laugh. Was this a _good _thing or a _bad_ thing?! My mind whizzed behind my eyes and my hand patted the ground roughly in amusement. Oh, geez! How much had he _heard_? Spider and I's conversation was _revealing_ to say the least and here Kaito swoops in to save the day – I was thankful to get away from the creeper, but I felt just as much danger when I was with Spider, except it wasn't psychical this time. Kaitou freakin' KID could've possibly figured out quite a bit.

I could feel the warm hand slip from my back hesitantly and I just knew I was making a _wonderful_ first impression. I strained to reign in my laughter, swallowing it down thickly as my grin grew on my face. There was moment of quiet silence, the only sound my harsh breathing and the light breeze travelling over the area of Tokyo. Once I caught my breath, I looked up, still grinning like a maniac.

Kaito – er, KID – was standing there calmly, looking a bit amused, hands in his pockets elegantly. However, it was easy to tell he was still cautious and treading lightly around me – couldn't really blame him, though; I was practically an unknown thief and even the police didn't know much about me yet. Clearing my throat, I stood slowly, a bit dizzily, and gave shameless ninety-degrees bow to him, a mix between a curtsy and a regular bow.

"I'm quite alright~! Though, I think that he gave me a slight concussion…," I trailed off with a giggle, hearing my voice slur just the slightest. It kind of sounded like I was drunk, actually. 'Jester's' deeper voice didn't make it any better either. "Thank you for coming to my rescue, Kaitou KID. I suppose I owe you one now, if you don't immediately turn me in." I hummed. I glanced over his profile once again before focusing on his face – the expression was unreadable as his eyes were hidden in the darkness of the brim of his hat, the only thing visible the cool smirk on his lips. I'd never thought that his disguise was very good, but seeing it in real life made it look much better; the monocle made his face hard to see, as it threw you off at the lack of symmetrical-ness.

"But, if you do that, I think I'll have to call someone to destroy you~!" I wiggled my gloved fingers in a 'mystical' gesture, my tone obviously playful. I winced right after, bringing a hand up to the back of my head to feel the wound. Something slick and warm seeped through my glove, dampening the pads of my fingers. "Ahh, damn it." The curse word slipped out due to nerves and I internally berated myself, since 'Jester' wasn't supposed to cuss. Oh well. Too late now and it didn't really matter anyways. I blinked back to focus as KID shifted the slightest.

"You should get that checked out by a doctor, ojou-san." KID finally spoke up again courteously, sweeping his cape in a theatrical show. "Turning you in would do neither of us any good, especially with that man. Goldilocks, was it?" He smiled smoothly, raising a brow that was barely visible.

My eyes climbed up to the sky, locating the moon. I removed my hand from the back of my head and my grin lessened a bit as I realized there were darker patches on the already-black glove. When I get my hands on Spider, I would _kill _him, I decided with an irritated twitch.

Realizing I was paying too little attention to KID – even though he was a potential threat – I looked back at him. My brow furrowed – what had he asked again? I couldn't remember. I shook my head, regretting it a second later when the headache I had pushed back came back like drums playing on my temples. The world shifted and KID split into two for a brief moment before they smashed together into one once more. _Okay,_ _bad idea… _

"I can't remember what you just asked, but hello!" I chimed out, deciding to just greet him. He blinked in what looked like surprise. I waved my clean-gloved hand at him, "I'm The Jester, nice to meet you~! Call me Jester – I dislike formalities. Just curious, but how much of our conversation did you hear?" I lessened my grin to a smile to look less manic. On the inside, I was a bit in a panic. KID had turned in criminals in the past – and would in the future – so who says he wouldn't just turn me in despite saving me earlier? Damn it, my head hurts…thinking too much is bad for my health.

KID grinned – I'm taking that as a good sign – and gave a small bow. "Kaitou KID – it's a pleasure to make the acquaintance of a lovely lady like yourself, Jester-san." I shuddered, feeling oddly like I was being hit on by my brother – it was an unpleasant feeling, truthfully. Kaito and I of course weren't actually related, but after living with him for so long, it kind of felt like we were. Hence, his light flirting was putting me off, even though I knew he did it to every girl he met as KID.

"As for your conversation, I arrived at the time you and your accomplice were making a bet at who could find a certain gem first." He informed dutifully, straightening out and his cape once again swished. I blinked in shock. He thought–?!

I snorted in amusement, my grin growing once again – I couldn't control it. "_Hahaha_! You think that–_haha_ –_Spider_, of _all_ people, is my _accomplice_?!" For some reason, it was a hilarious thought. He'd basically been tormenting me all week and Kaito thought he was my _accomplice_? What kind of _crappy_ accomplice attacks their partner? A crappy one, obviously. And I wouldn't get a crappy accomplice, if I ever got one. I wasn't as dense as to hire someone like that. Especially _Spider_.

After a few moments, I reeled in my laughter, a bit confused at the abrupt change in the atmosphere. Earlier it had been kind of awkward and tense, but now it felt like something was suffocating me, tenseness heightened. Had I said something wrong? It hit me like lightning – I had said _Spider_. An animal – well, kinda – name that KID probably connected with Snake. And, of course, when you think Snake, you think Pandora, and he had obviously heard our bet about finding a _certain gem_…

The suspicious eyes watching me under the brim of his top hat were indication enough that he'd come to the conclusion as well. Great, now he thought I was after Pandora…

With a quickness that even surprised myself, I found myself once again spouting out lies – helpful lies. My accomplished grin could easily pass as another manic grin from me. "I would never, _ever_, partner with someone like him. We made that bet because we're _enemies_." I emphasized, crossing my arms defensively. Please buy it, please buy it, _please buy it…_

He stayed silent, just intently staring at me, his thoughts flying behind his eyes, which were narrowed in concentration – or suspicion, I couldn't tell. I cleared my throat, deciding to take the chance to get away. "Anyways, thank you for your help, but I'll be going now~!" I gave him a little salute before swiveling on my heel, eager to get away from the awkward and tense situation. I just wanted to go to Akako's house, fix my head, maybe have a midnight snack, and then go to bed after a nice, long, bath. Yeah, that sounded _nice_…

My boots scuffled on the ground of the alley we were in as I headed in a random direction – I really had _no _idea where we were – but I halted as a voice called out. "Wait–" It was KID and he sounded awfully _thoughtful _and _calculating_. I felt like smashing my head into the nearest wall, but I casually turned to look at him, flashing a friendly smile, "Hm?"

"This gem you're looking for…what do you plan to do with it when you find it?" His arms were crossed like mine, hand to his chin in a theatrical display of thought. All his movements were carefully made, but he looked a lot more at ease, which I supposed was good. Maybe. I couldn't tell with this headache.

My eyes lifted to the right in thought – I could answer something like 'destroy it' since he thought I was talking about Pandora and I didn't really want him to make me an enemy if I said something else, but my mouth moved on its own. I quirked a mischievous grin, "Why do'ya wanna know?" My arms uncrossed and I shoved my hands in the pockets of my skirt, leaning against the alley wall closest to my left shoulder.

ooOOoo

"Why do'ya wanna know?"

Kaito's eyes narrowed the slightest, catching the hint of Osaka-ben slipping out. She'd been hiding it pretty well before, but now it was noticeable – she was letting her guard down. He felt like he could trust this girl, for whatever reason. She almost felt familiar in an odd way – reminding him a bit of Akako, only less creepy. He tried to find her spot her eyes in the dark blackness but didn't succeed, shadows of her fedora hiding the upper half of her face. The white contrast of her mask made her look a bit like a raccoon.

He hesitated a brief moment to come up with a logical answer, wondering if he should just say the truth. If he correct in his deductions, then she was the same as him – trying to find Pandora before that damnable organization did. But, he needed to know if she wanted to destroy Pandora or if she wanted to use it for herself, though she didn't seem like the type. His impression of her was quite different – more like an absentminded and sly individual who had more than a few childlike tendencies. And she loved to laugh – easily amused, he had decided. Could just be the concussion, though.

He offered her a charming smirk, deciding to follow his gut instinct – it was impulsive, but he trusted his instincts, since they had gotten him out of trouble more than once. "I believe we may be after the same gem, Jester-san." He answered easily, pokerface in place. If she was after the same gem and if she did plan to destroy it, then…

Jester stared for a long moment with that same grin before it widened a bit, white flashing unnervingly. Something about her smile seemed a bit too knowing for his liking, but he was confident that he could get away if it called for it. She made no move to come at him, though, and instead laughed once more. "What makes you think so?" She chuckled.

He went right in for the kill. "You said you're enemies with that Spider. Does he maybe work for an organization with someone called Snake? If so, we might be on the same side." He waited with bated breath for her answer, her expression unreadable.

If he played his cards right, he knew that he could possibly have a new ally on his side. The thought made him excited (and perhaps a bit reckless). There might be someone who _finally_ knows about the organization who killed his father – who might even know more than him! – and could possibly have a better idea of where Pandora was. From what he knew, she still hadn't returned the gem from last time, but he felt like she'd still make a good ally.

Yes, he smirked, if he just played his cards right…

ooOOoo

"You said you're enemies with that Spider. Does he maybe work for an organization with someone called Snake? If so, we might be on the same side." KID stated and his expression was unreadable, ever present smirk in place.

I blinked in shock. Had he _really_ just done that? What if I was some creeper who wanted immortality? At the moment, he was being kind of reckless about this. He didn't know me and I, supposedly, didn't know him – so why was he being so _trusting_? I bit the inside of my cheek in thought, wondering how I should answer. If I said 'yes' than this could possibly be pulled over me and I would _probably_ get involved in his ridiculous scheme of finding and destroying Pandora – I mean, I supported him and wanted him to find it, but to _join_ him? It just screamed '_bad idea!_'.

On the other hand, it could possibly benefit to me, as well. Kaito had a lot more experience at this whole thief thing, so if I became his ally, it would be a lot of help to me and working with him could benefit finding the gem to go back home faster. But, if I said something else, I wasn't quite sure of his reaction and the unknown wasn't a good idea when dealing with KID – there could involve glitter, smoke bombs, and potential jail time.

I shifted, standing up straight from the wall and offering him a shark's grin. If I played my cards right, though, he could be useful. So, I went with the obvious choice – white lies never hurt anyone, after all. And after I got involved with KID – if that was what he was planning – I _would_ be involved with his pesky organization, so it wouldn't be a complete lie. And I'd thought about getting his help before, jokingly telling Akako I would have an ally soon enough, so why not, right?

"I see. It does seem we have some things in common. Snake, huh? Is that the one that hunts you? He's a bit slow, that one." I hummed, watching as KID's smirk grew a bit, as if it was his plan for me to agree. I raised a brow beneath the brim of my fedora, but let it go.

"So, you do know him." He stated, "I take it you're after the elusive Pandora, then?" At my nod, he continued, "What do you plan to do with it?"

"Destroy it, obviously." My vindictive tone was convincing, I had to admit.

At that, KID grinned as well, finally showing his manic grin similar to mine. "Then, I have a proposition for you, Jester-san. We both want to destroy Pandora and we're both fighting against this organization alone…," He began and my heart sped up in anticipation. This was it – I was going to seal a deal with the great Kaitou KID. Man, when I had first got the idea of being a thief, I had _never _pictured something this _surreal_ to happen – this usually only happened in stories. It was a bit overwhelming.

Excited feeling bubbled in my chest, overflowing and making my grin grow larger – if that was possible. KID offered out a white gloved hand to me politely, "Two is better than one, they say. Would you like to become my partner, Kaitou Jester?" And just like that, I somehow went from being a regular thief called The Jester to a phantom thief called The Jester.

I still felt like he was being strangely reckless and trusting, but I nodded, wondering if I was asleep, stepping closer to give his hand a firm shake. His hand was warmer than mine and it seeped through my glove to my freezing hands – courtesy of Spider touching me earlier. It seemed that when he touches you with his freezing body, it's a long-lasting effect.

We stepped back after three handshakes and I was left feeling that it was oddly uneventful. Then again, handshakes had never seemed very climatic, so…

I shrugged to myself, feeling my headache lessen a bit. "Anyways, KID-san, I have to go now~! Duty calls and all, as you know." I took a step backwards, "I'll get in contact with you soon~! You'll know it's me, trust me~!" I called, spinning on my heel and darting away, leaving a surprised KID in the dark alley and heading for The Den before going to Akako's house.

ooOOoo

"Would you _stop_ getting hurt whenever you're 'visiting' me?" Akako huffed in irritation, "It's annoying to have to heal you, since Kuroba-kun would get angry at me otherwise."

My lips stretched into an amused smile, waving away a few lingering traces of awkwardness that I had. "Sorry, sorry. It's, technically, not my fault, you know. I can't control that I'm accident prone." I laughed, blinking as Akako shoved a…rock into my hands. I had long changed out of my thief outfit and left the gem in The Den until further notice. The witch had just finished inspecting my wound, a bandage easily placed over my cut cheek and a bandage wrapped around my head.

"What's this?" I questioned curiously, looking at the colored rock – it mostly consisted of darker colors, dark green dominating the most of it. It was hanging on a chain, shaped like a really tall, upside-down, pyramid. Akako glanced over careless as she thumbed through an ancient looking book, words that I didn't understand on the cover in a foreign alphabet. "That's a bloodstone necklace. Wear it for the night and it'll fix your concussion that you foolishly got by _tripping_." She rolled her eyes.

I chuckled nervously, giving an apologetic smile as I pulled the necklace over my head, the bloodstone resting against my collarbone. I had lied to Akako about my concussion because I knew she'd _kill_ me if she figured out my memory had created an _assassin_ to appear. Yeah, not a good idea. My lie was pretty bad, but she believed it well enough, so that was good.

"Anyways, goodnight~!" With a quick wave, I dashed off to the guest bedroom, getting ready to plan things out for the future, since I would need it. I knew I wouldn't be able to get to sleep, anyways, since one thought kept knocking around in my head like a cacophony of chaos.

I was now an accomplice of Kaitou KID.

**Review Replies:**

**To: Iriss-sama – It's okay, Ri-chan! ^^ I forget to review on a lot of things, too. XDDD (Usually I just lurk, lol) Yup! I turned fifteen this August! 8DD Awesome! Summer birthday buddies~! (High-fives) Ahh, yeah. I got confused sometimes, too. XDDDD;;; And I had a lot of fun writing about Eris and Erise in the same chapter, since they have such similar names. XD I'm surprised I didn't mess up, lol. And their visit to Poirot was kind of uneventful, since Conan is currently in Gunma with Yukiko. XD I was gonna write it, but I just couldn't. XD I got stuck when I tried, lol. XD And yes! Spider! XDDD Memory anomalies make lots of strange things happen, lol! XDD Yeah, nightmares are always pretty bad. (Winces) But, they're pretty much gone now, so that's good! ^^ And yup – Kaitou KID! 8DDDDDD (Gathers all the luck) Thank you, Ri-chan~! And will do~! (Salutes) Thank you for the review~!**

**To: Meow-chan-15 – Oh, I see. I'm glad I made him interesting! I personally love his character, so I'm glad I was able to 'upgrade' him, as you said! ^^ Thank you! And yeah, Spider isn't as cool as Kaito! Kaito is, like, the king of epic-ness. XD Sorry for the long wait on KID finally appearing – I hope his appearance wasn't disappointing, lol. XDDD Thank you for the review! 8DD **

**To: MiniMiao – Ahhh, sorry for the confusion. I'm really bad at explaining things sometimes. XD;;; Lessee… He's not the original Spider because he was created from her memories being planted inside an actual spider, which made him become magically enhanced and allowed him to take human form. However, he technically still **_**is**_** Spider since he has his personality and appearance and skills and was created in the image of the Spider from Midori's memories. I hope that helped. XD (bad explanations are bad –shot– ) Sorry for the confusion once again – if this didn't help, Akako will actually explain things more in-depth later on! And yes, KID! 8DDD Thank you for your review! 8D **

**To: Raifuujin – Hello again~! XDD (Laughs) She just might, yeah. XD Conan tends to have an aversion to people who seem to know who he is, since he's really paranoid and Jester isn't going to help with that at all. XDD Plus, Midori likes bothering poor Conan, so she'd probably enjoy giving him a headache, lol. XDDD And I'm glad you liked the murder case despite it not being quite as well put together as Gosho's! (We all watch DC for the murders secretly, lol. XDD) And yeah. XDDDD Heiji gets hung up on a lot by Midori and Conan, lol. And yup – he's in on the secret! (Laughs) Hopefully he will. XDD I think Midori wouldn't be too happy with him if he gave it away, lol. XD As for the reunion, I got confused too, don't worry. XD I feel a bit ridiculous to have made so many people, but I wanted a pretty decently sized family. XD Thank you! I'm glad I made them an interesting family! ^^ And they'll probably have reappearances, just it won't be so confusing, since there won't be so much at one time. XD (unless it's another reunion…;;) Thank you, I'm glad you like how I used Spider! ^^ (Laughs) I think I'd be paranoid with him around, too. XD He just strikes me as a creeper, lol. Yeah, he definitely is a bit like the Vermouth in Kaito's organization. (Agrees) He'll be a tough opponent, indeed. And yup! KID! 8DDDDD Here's the next chapter! Thank you for the review~!**

**-well, this was kind of hard. KID's personality just kept slipping into Kaito's playful personality and it's not supposed to blend too much. (Wipes Brow) Kaito and KID are definitely a work of art that's hard to write. Hopefully, it wasn't too disastrous. XDDD Anyways, more things will be expanded on later. See you next chapter! Also, happy birthday, Hakuba Saguru! o^^o **


	50. (LN) Chapter 50

**A/N: This was fun~! Turned out decently long, too, so I'm happy~! And we're on fifty, people! Our hard work is paying off! I hope to continue this story as long as you support me (and possibly even if you don't, lol). XDDD Anyways, this chapter is important, yet kind of pointless. Kind of just to settle things after the whole Spider fiasco and such. And, of course, passing fifty, we reach a new direction for the storyline. Enjoy? ^^ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama.**

Chapter Fifty; Lucid Nightmare Arc

Sunday was a perfect day to contact your thieving partner – a partner that you supposedly didn't know the identity of and who couldn't know you were actually the larger-version of his pseudo little sister. So, yes – Sunday was my choice of day to contact him, seeing as he expected little 'Alice' to be at Akako's house all weekend and it was the day just after; what was the use of procrastinating, right? The second day of November was a lot colder than the first, freezing winds infiltrating your warm jackets and sweaters, and that just made it all the more perfect. Now there was no way to look out of place with extra, facial-feature-hiding, clothing.

My blue scarf was wrapped around my neck, pulled up to keep my mouth and nose safe from Jack Frost's nipping touch while my cap was pulled low over my eyes. I shivered despite my thick sweater, avoiding prying eyes as I hurried inside of a payphone booth. I was currently in Shinjuku, far from both Ekoda and Beika – far enough for Kaito to not get the idea that I lived near there despite always stealing near there. Though, of course, my logic would probably be played against me and he would assume I _did_ live in Ekoda or Beika – but my reverse psychology was fine with that. It's not like he'd find me living there – as an adult, anyways.

His efforts to find me – if he tried – would be completely futile.

I snickered beneath my scarf, quickly closing the glass doors of the payphone, cutting off the flow of cold air coming into the tiny booth. Millions of people were walking around, all decked out in warm clothing, and I was just one of the many random people wandering around – it was a perfect place to set up a rendezvous. My eyes darted in slight paranoia, darting from skyscraper to skyscraper – a trademark of Nishi-Shinjuku – and my mind supplied me with _helpful_ intel that quite a few of them would make perfect sniper nests for Spider, if he decided to ditch his needles. I mean, I _had _bit his shoulder, after all…

Shaking away the useless thoughts (he couldn't kill me, I had to remind myself) ((not to mention he probably wouldn't be indiscrete enough to kill me when we were so close to Tokyo City Hall)), I pulled my cellphone out of my back pocket, flipping it open, carefully hiding it from the populace around. After all, what type of person would go to a _payphone_ when they had their _cellphone_? Yeah, it would just look too _shady_ and I was trying to be _discrete_.

I clicked to my contacts, scrolling down the list before stopping short at one Kuroba Kaito. A grin split across my face as I imagined Kaito's reaction to what I was just about to do. I pulled out spare change from my pocket, easily sliding it into the slot after I had picked up the phone from the holder. There was a brief sound of clinks as they made their way into the machine and I quickly input his number on the little metal number pad once the sounds disappeared into silence.

Beeps sounded and then the whole number was input and there was a short moment of wait before a ringing filled my ears, alerting me that my call was being put through. I tapped my finger against the metal framing in front of me impatiently, clearing my throat in preparation of Jester's voice – my voice was definitely a bit deep, but for Jester, it was almost like a boy's. Almost, not quite – to me, it sounded like I'd just had a bad coughing fit and my voice was husky from the abuse, but it worked well enough, but I always needed to prepare to do it, otherwise it hurt a bit for the strain on my throat fluctuating. Voice exercises helped.

There was a click as Kaito answered his cellphone, sounding cheerful like usual but a bit confused and hesitant due to the unknown number of the payphone. "_Hello?_"

A throaty laugh escaped my lips, "Kaitou KID, you sound a lot less majestic over the phone line." I informed him and I could practically imagine his shocked face from my spot. "Anyways, I contacted you, as promised. Due to your current silence, you probably didn't expect it so soon – or, perhaps, you didn't think I would be able to retrieve the _great _Kaitou KID's phone number. If it helps, I'm the only one who could obtain this information. I have special…resources, you could say, I suppose." Like living with you, I snickered internally and if my tone was a bit mocking, well, my name _was _The Jester.

And all jesters were known for mocking everyone, completely disregarding personal standing and rankings. The more I thought on it, the more my name was well-suited – I had a bad habit of opening my mouth out of terms, so…

Kaito's voice over the line cut through my wayward thoughts and I blinked back to focus. "_Jester-san, it seems I've underestimated you. I didn't expect you to get a hold of my phone number, but don't you think it's a bit petty to be calling from a payphone to secure your own number?_" His voice had deepened and smoothened to the now-familiar tone of Kaitou KID, somehow still chivalrous despite him calling me 'a bit petty'.

I let out the snake-like hissing snicker I was known for, feeling amused by his claims. "As petty as petty gets, KID-san~! Just like you trying to get my number from my phone~! Also, thank you for acknowledging my pettiness instead of berating me for calling you so randomly – I know several others who would've scolded me for calling at an inconvenient time." My mom, for one, and my sister, and Akako, and others I don't remember at the moment. "Anyways, can we get to business? I only have so much change, you know." I laughed, knowing that I actually didn't have more coins with me if it hung up mid-call, "Can you meet me at Shibuya?"

There was a brief silence and I listened to Kaito shuffling on the other side of the line, and I glanced up to the skyscraper's once more in a paranoid sweep before he spoke again. "_I'll be able to meet you there in an hour – is that alright, Jester-san?_" Again, he was back to being courteous. I hummed, "Yeah, that'll be okay. I'll be at the Statue of Hachiko, 'kay~? I'll be wearing a blue scarf and a camouflage Toyota Trucks hat, you can't miss me."

"_Roger~! I'll see you soon_." For a second there, he seemed more Kaito than KID and I grinned.

"Oh, and KID?"

"_Hm?_"

"Please don't dress as if you were a rejected biker dude, alright?"

With my hit landed, with another laugh, I hung up before he could retort. With one more glance to the buildings around, I stepped out of the phone booth, cold immediately chilling my cheeks and seeping through my warm clothing. I shuddered at the chill and in delight – I adored winter – and began my journey to Shinjuku Station, where I would then go on the Yamate Line of the Saikyo Line to Shibuya and wait for Kaito at Hachiko – hopefully, he didn't take too long to get here from Ekoda. Despite liking the cold, there were times when you shouldn't overstay your welcome outside.

ooOOoo

I had been waiting beside Hachiko for who knows how long and my fingers were officially freezing, despite being hidden away in the – supposed to be – warm depths of my pockets. I shivered, readjusting my scarf and shuffling as I grew restless. I don't know how much time had passed, but millions of people had already met the person who they were supposed to meet with at the statue and had gone on their merry little way while I was currently waiting for Kaito to make his appearance.

Just as I was staring at the concrete, contemplating about calling him and bitching about him showing up on time, a pair of familiar red sneakers came into view. I blinked, looking up, feeling a bit odd at seeing him in my larger form rather than Alice's. He was taller than me, but didn't tower over me like Spider did, thankfully; as long as we were around the same height, I didn't feel odd, even though I was used to Kaito towering over me.

He was dressed in beige pants, coupled with a boring, mundane, grey sweater zipped up to his neck while wearing a white cap and some rather large shades that hid most of the upper half of his face – he followed my advice to not dress so shady and blended in quite well with the crowd, but I couldn't help snorting at his sunglasses. I grinned, a gesture he probably remembered from last night, as I crossed my arms, "You do realize that wearing sunglasses in November looks odd, don't you?" I chuckled.

Kaito quirked a smirk at that, looking amused. "Nobody will notice – people here don't pay attention to those around them too much. Isn't that why you chose a busy place like Shibuya, Jester-san?" He asked in a hushed, conspiratorial, voice that made me feel like a secret agent. If possible, my grin grew as I placed a finger above my lips in a 'shh' gesture.

"Of course that's why I chose Shibuya, KID-san~!" I hummed, "And, please – call me Noriko. Don't want anyone hearing who we are, right? You don't mind if I call you Norio? Ohh, or maybe Kichiro?" I snickered, fully amused. He let out a small chuckle, "Now I see what kind of humor you have, at least, _Noriko-san_." He emphasized the name, enjoying the joke as much as I was. I mentally tacked on another name to my growing list of alias'. It was getting a bit out of hand, but, well, it was kind of needed.

"Kichiro-kun it is, then." I decided for him with a laugh, "Anyways, we should get out of here. I think people are starting to wonder why I've been standing here for a while." But I knew that wasn't true, since no one was paying any attention, but there was an inkling of worry in the back of my mind that I couldn't shake off. Spider had done wonders for my caution and I wouldn't – _refused_ – to be caught like that once again.

"Besides," I tacked on, "It's freezing."

I walked past Kaito, beckoning him to follow with a wayward glance, heading in the direction of a coffee shop I'd spied while waiting beside Hachiko. He easily caught up with his longer legs, striding beside me calmly as I resisted the urge to turn tail and decide not to go through with our accomplice-ship. My nerves were on-end and I wasn't used to Kaito – as KID – being so open to getting a new ally. Was he really that desperate to learn more about the men in black? Granted, they _did _kill his father, but it just struck me as odd. There was always the possibility that this was a _trap_, even though I trusted Kaito as much as he apparently trusted me.

"Please except my apologies, my lady. I actually live quite far from here, you see." He apologized in his once again flirty tone. I shuddered – an action not caused by the cold weather at all. My lips curled downwards in a disgusted grimace and I patted his arm, gaining his attention. He blinked at my expression. "And if this is going to work out, please don't do that flirty thing with me. It's creepy, considering you _should_ be a forty or fifty year old man by now." I told him, quite frankly, "Though, we both know you're not, it's still creepy."

A bead of sweat ran down his cheek as he undeniably deadpanned behind his pokerface. Quirking an innocent grin, I pushed open the door of the coffee shop, a bell jingling overhead, and the smell of coffee beans assaulted my senses, warmth engulfing me. I sighed in content, relaxing immensely now that I was inside a _warm_ building. The inside of the coffee shop was made up of warm browns and mellow red, the atmosphere friendly and cozy. Tables were lined against the wall and the large barista counter took up most of the free room left, but not in an overwhelming way.

We walked up to the barista, waiting behind a woman who was ordering a coffee for herself – she was in a business suit, so she obviously didn't have Sunday off. Sucks for her. Kaito raised a brow at me in interest as I gave a snigger, but I waved him off and soon enough it was our turn to get our coffee.

"I'll have a hot chocolate with everything." I ordered, eyes darting to and fro on the menu hanging above the counter. The man, who I assumed was the barista, nodded and turned to my companion. "Same~!" He smiled cheerily. With another curt nod, the man set to work to creating the easy hot chocolates and I glanced to Kaito as he began to speak, "We'll go over our assignment once we get our things, okay?"

I raised an incredulous brow – _assignment_? Is that the best he could come up with? However, I gave him a nod, along with another smile that probably gave way to my bemusement of his choice of words. Kaito turned to the counter as our hot chocolates were placed on the counter, immediately pulling his wallet out of his back pocket and paying for it before I could even stop him. "Ah, hey… I was gonna pay for mine. I don't do well with owing people…," I whined despite grabbing the hot chocolate and already heading to the table in the corner of the building. It was away in a little niche and far from the entrance, so people would only come close if they were going to the bathroom in the back or going to sit at the table in front of ours.

"No need to pay me back." He laughed, "Besides, it's rude to let a lady pay for the bill."

My brow twitched as we took our seats on opposite sides of the tiny table made for two. "What did I say about the flirting, Kichiro-kun?" I rolled my eyes at him after downing some of the scalding liquid with ease. "And before we start, we should exchange some vital information about ourselves first." I looked up to the right in thought, feeling my fingers warm over the cardboard holder that they always put over hot drinks at places like Starbucks and the such.

I decided to go with the things he'd most need to know about me. "Well, first things first, you will eventually find this out, so it's no point hiding it, really." I hummed, a bit amused, "I'm a pathological liar, undeniably. I mean, it's not too bad and it's really not for _everything_, but I do find myself lying quite a bit lately, so…yeah. Another thing would be that while I am indeed looking for that forsaken box of yours, I'm also looking for a different gem, and if I acquire that one first, you're on your own~!" Because then I'd go home.

"Also, you probably expected new information of that organization of yours, but I'm pretty sure I only know as much as you do; they're psychos pursuing immortality, have guns, pretty much are 'big bads', except they don't use silencers often so they're obviously not that smart and Snake is in the system already, and they have a big chain of command way above our heads, you know – the usual." I shrugged, biting the edge of the lid of my cup in amusement at Kaito's wide eyes.

A moment later, he was darting his eyes around the building as if someone was suddenly going to pull out a shotgun of some sort and gun us to death. It was amusing, but the honest-to-goodness, concealed, _panic_ on his face made me feel a bit bad at being so indiscrete. "Erm, you don't need to worry, you know. There's nobody here at the moment except coffee guy, and I'm almost certain he's not evil." I muttered under my breath, watching as his eyes regained focus on me.

I couldn't see much due to his ridiculously large sunglasses, but I could see him relax slightly. _Good_. "So, anything you want to share about yourself?" I hummed, taking another long drink of the burning liquid. Might as well change the subject now – I had a habit of rambling about things that sometimes made others uncomfortable. But, hey – making people feel awkward was my _specialty_.

He cleared his throat, taking a small sip of his drink after a moment of watching me from behind his glasses. "You really have no shame, do you?" He chuckled, "You immediately tell me quite a bit about you and yet you still don't know much about me." Oh, please, Kaito – I know _a lot_ more about you than you know about me~!

"It's one of my charms, I suppose~!"

He gave another laugh, "Well, there's not much you need to know about me, other than the fact that I'm new to this partnership thing." He shrugged and my fingers tapped against the table in a rhythmic pace as he went on, "And I wasn't informed that Snake was in the system until today." He finished. Oh, well, I guess I did know more than he did, even if it was only that much. It left me feeling odd. "Snake's in the system under the name Jackal. He's an internationally wanted jewel thief known for his brutal approach." I informed dutifully, thinking back to what happened in OVA four – there was a possibility that it wasn't true due to it being non-canon, but I had a gut feeling my presence had changed that or that he really _was_ in the system.

Kaito gave a low hum in thought, leaning back in his seat as the generic music of the coffee shop kept playing overhead, dulling out our conversation if anyone should try to hear. His hand went up to his chin in a gesture that made him look just the slightest more like Shinichi. "If that's true, then we can use that against him…," His smirk was feral to say the least, but it was gone a second later as he looked back up to me, "What about that Spider guy? Any luck with him?"

I sighed, not wanting to remember the arachnid freak. "No luck. I don't know squat about who he really is and I'm _positive_ he's not in the system. But, he's definitely going to be a problem in the future, so…," I grimaced behind my large grin, taking another gulp of my drink in frustration. At least in the anime, they knew where he was most of the time since he was a famous illusionist, but now he was basically a shadow on the wall you could chase but not catch – like those laser lights that you use to play with cats.

I blinked at a hesitant pat on my arm. "Don't worry about him – we'll get him one way or another." The sharp grin on Kaito's face made him look like a really creepy hipster dude, but he got his point through. We could just play tag like he'd been playing with Snake for a while – a perfectly laid trap here and a perfectly synchronized plan there and he's basically be trapped in his own web if it worked properly. Yes, it sounded incredibly satisfying~!

"Oh! Right!" I exclaimed, startling Kaito who blinked, and I unzipped my sweater slightly, hand going for my hidden inside pocket. I pulled out a piece of paper with a printed picture on it, crumpled from being stuffed in my jacket. Smoothing out the wrinkles, I slid it towards the other thief, who peered down at it in interest.

"This is my next target. I'm not sure if you're going to help or not, but I thought I should tell you, anyways." I told him, gazing down to the lime green mineral cut in the shape of a large tear.

He brought the paper closer to his side, staring with a calculating look – probably sizing it up to see if it could possibly be Pandora. After a moment, he finally smiled. "I'm in. I haven't actually checked any cut minerals, but it's a good idea." Figures he'd be able to tell it was a mineral from a look alone – that's Kaitou KID for you. I bottled down my impressive stare, pulling the paper back to fold it and stuff it back into my hidden pocket.

"Great~! It's a cut Brazilianite called the _Pari Passu_. It has a legend around it, saying that the tear opens up a pocket dimension on the first day of the New Year at three in the morning." My eyes narrowed in thought as I continued to brief him on the mineral – which I'll just call a gem, since it might as well be one. "It's located in a small jewelry shop in Kabukichō, Shinjuku. Not much leg work needed for it from what I saw, but it'll still be relatively dangerous since it's kind of a red-light district and there's the yakuza, but since the Kabukichō Renaissance is there, I'm sure we'll be fine."

At this, his brows furrowed. "Kabukichō Renaissance? What's that?"

My heart sped up as I realized that I had taken the information on Kabukichō from my mind, assuming it would be the same here and hadn't actually _checked_. "Uh! Nothing – it's nothing. I must have mistaken it with another place~!" I gave a loud nervous laugh, feeling a bit like a good for making that mistake. "A-Anyways, that's not that important." I finished firmly, zipping my sweater back up and taking another long drink of my hot chocolate – this time, the flow ended before it was supposed to and I pouted, realizing I was all out.

Licking my lips, I glanced over to Kaito. "Whatever you say," He laughed, "As for the gem, it sounds like a perfect candidate. And as our first heist together, it'll be perfect to work on our teamwork, as well." He smirked as he also finished off his hot chocolate in one swig. "So, when do you plan to hold it, leader?"

"_Leader_? Please, you're obviously older than me. Besides, I'm not the leader-type. If I was a leader, I'd probably disappear on you a lot." I snickered, knowing that it was probably true.

"I said leader because you're the one who brought this heist to light. From now on, whoever finds the gem, leads the heist." He stated decidedly with the hint of cockiness in his voice that made me want to laugh all over again. "Alright, alright~! Lessee…I wanna take a long break since lots of interesting crap has happened lately, so…," I tilted my head in thought before a brilliant idea came to mind. After all, why wait to see if its legend was true?

"How about New Year's Eve?"

ooOOoo

More weeks passed swiftly, a blinding haze of peacefulness and mundane life; school life, hanging out with friends, and having three meals a day. Time was passing quickly – quicker than I wanted – and I felt myself falling into step, pretty happy with this life. Spider hadn't shown head nor hair of him since, too – which made me a bit uneasy, knowing he could show up whenever, but since he hadn't, I had passed my large fit of paranoia. Life was just normal.

Kaitou KID and 'Jester' were also getting along quite well and I called him for a progress report every week, which usually ended up in a long ramble of random conversation. He still couldn't call me, since I still hid my number from him – oh, the works the asterisk and the numbers six and seven could have! – but it was for a good reason. If he got 'Jester's' number, he would realize that it was the same number for 'Alice'. Which was bad. Like, really bad. So, obviously, I just hid my number from him.

Erise and 'Midori' tended to meet every Saturday and I usually spent time playing with the Detective Boys after school. As the weeks progressed, November grew colder and before I knew it, it was already December. The case Conan had with Yukiko in Gunma had passed a while ago and it seemed there wouldn't be another case anytime soon. Well, for me, anyways. I wasn't too sure about the chibi shinigami – after all, despite the mostly cheery atmosphere of December, he'd come back from a ski trip with a murder case story. I swear, that boy…

And another thing that surprised me was…

"Alice-chan~! It's been so long! It's good to see you again!" I was swept into a hug, face smothered in someone's bosom as I struggled for freedom in embarrassment. The woman holding me finally pulled back and I took a large gasping breath for air, my face red from the proximity and the lack of oxygen. "Ch–" At the pout forming on her lips, I immediately rephrased, "O-Okaa-san...welcome home." I greeted with a smile after I caught my breath.

She planted a kiss to my forehead – undoubtedly leaving a red mark from her lipstick but she smoothed the spot over with her finger to smear it away – and placed me gently down back on the wooden flooring above the genkan. She had randomly burst into the house without any announcement and had scared both Kaito and I half to death at the unexpected entrance – to say we both had ran to the door in a panic would've been an understatement. She turned her attention to Kaito, smothering him with hugs and kisses as well.

She looked the same as she had before, silky brown hair cut in a bob style while her violet-blue eyes were as bright as ever with glee. Kaito finally managed to wrestle off Chikage, looking thoroughly red in the face from lack of breath and embarrassment, and she giggled, sweeping off her long faux-fur winter coat and placing it on the coat rack near the door.

"So, since its nearing Christmas, let's go out and have some fun~! Do some Christmas shopping or something!" She cheered in a way that made her seem years younger, not that she looked that much older either, but she probably was since she was Kaito's mom. Kaito blinked with me simultaneously, but Kaito gained his composure first. His grin spread wide, looking like it could almost crack his face in half.

"Sounds fun~!" He cheered, easily slipping into his sneakers and shrugging on his own winter jacket. He turned to me with twinkling eyes, "Alice-chan?"

I let out a small laugh, nodding my head at both their anticipating expressions directed towards me despite being the older two. "Sure!" I chimed, slipping on my snow boots and pulling on my winter jacket, which we had bought recently since my sweater just wasn't cutting it anymore, especially with the recent downfall of snow. We all headed out the door, chattering excitedly amongst each other, following Chikage as she directed to where we were going. I couldn't bring myself to be sad that I knew I wouldn't be home for Christmas and I wouldn't be there for my family and vice versa.

After all, at least I knew that Christmas and New Year's wouldn't be boring with both Kuroba family members, plus my bratty cat.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Iriss-sama – Ahh, gym. (Nods) I'm glad I could help you get your energy back! 8DDD Awesome! 8DD (High-fives) And yup! That's where we were! (Nods) We advanced, like, one case. XDD Yay! I'm glad you're looking forward to their teamwork! 8DDD It should be soon, since Christmas and New Year's basically are just around the corner in the story (like, next chapter type of thing). XDD I'm really excited to the things she can get involved in thanks to this, too! XDDD It'll be fun to write! (Gathers Luck) Thank you, Ri-chan~! 8DDD **

**To: MiniMiao – I'm glad that helped. 8D As for the questions, when Akako finally clarifies some things, if you still have some, feel free to ask! ^^ (Laughs) It could be seen that way, too, yeah. XDDD He's lucky she understood what he meant, lol. I think she would've been freaked out. XDD And yup! Kaito has Aoko~! Thank you. ^^ I'm still working on my third-person and after writing it for a long time, it feels…awkward, but I'll definitely do more switches in the future! 8D **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – (Laughs) Don't worry, I'm a lazy researcher, too, E-chan. XDD *evil laughter to Kaito* Of course I let E-chan off the hook~ She's not the master of disguise, besides, she's cooler than you~! (*whispers* and we were secretly in cahoots, mwahahaha~) *sticks out tongue* *ignores Kaito's offended face* XDD (Laughs) I tend to grin when I write her laughing, lol. XDD Maybe it's just contagious…like, Jester Venom Gas (instead of Joker, lol) ((and it doesn't kill you. XDD)) And, yes, Happy B-day, Haku-boy~! *joins in throwing confetti on him despite grumbles* XD Ahh, really? That sucks. Though, I tend to get headaches or feel bad if I don't get a lot of sleep rather than the other way around – I guess my body is just used to unhealthy amounts of sleep that when I do sleep healthily, it reacts badly. XD;;; And it's okay! ^^ (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! 8DD **

**To: DDmasters – Thanks! 8DD *sticks fork in cyber cake with greedy grin* As for Haibara's appearance (which I'm also super psyched for! *high-fives*), she'll make her appearance in four and a half cases. XD I'm not sure, though, since I may skip out on one and then it'll just be three and a half (I say half, since she'll only be involved in the small last half of it). So, she'll actually be appearing very soon! ^^ **

**-Note(s) **

**The Statue of Hachiko: Hachikō (****ハチ公****, November 10, 1923 – March 8, 1935), known in Japanese as chūken Hachikō (****忠犬ハチ公****"faithful dog Hachikō" ['hachi' meaning 'eight', a number referring to the dog's birth order in the litter, and 'kō', meaning prince or duke]), was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, even many years after his owner's death. There is a tribute statue to him just outside of Shibuya Station and it's a common meeting place. (like, really common)**

**Yamate Line: This isn't actually a real line – it's actually Yamanote Line, but in a Detective Conan episode, it is clear that they changed the name of the line, so I changed it for the sake of continuity. The other things, however, were kept the same since I don't have any remembrance of DC changing that – if they did, I don't remember. XD **

**Noriko, Norio, and Kichiro joke: NORIKO meaning "lawful child" (****典子****) - Japanese girl name. NORIO meaning "lawful man" (****法男****) - Japanese boy name. KICHIRO meaning "lucky son" (****吉郎****) - Japanese boy name. Lame jokes are lame. XDD **

**Note End.**

**This was fun to write and finally a gem (not a gem, mineral, but whatever. XD) that isn't a real one! XDD It was fun making it, lol; no trouble at all. XD As for chapters, you all probably noticed that we're now on chapter fifty. When we work together, we can even move mountain! (or something like that) I just want to – once again – thank everybody for their support of this fanfiction, despite my tendency to veer from the original course of action of the DC plotline and take forever for things to get places. XD (gah, I'm such a sentimental, it hurts… ;; ) All your support – everyone reading, reviewing, and just lurking (*winks to lurkers*) – has really made the difference with this story. It went from a big idea in my mind to an even larger idea on paper with your help, providing me with new characters (Erise & Ayala) and with interesting concepts (Kin came from an idea contributed by MagicMilkbone) and with new ideas (those gadgets that you suggested Echo Andalice will show up eventually, promise!). It grew and grew and I feel like we have a small little community now. (is that weird? XDD;;) **

**So, I just want to personally thank everyone. Thank you, Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan, Iriss-sama, Glassed Loner, MoonRaven95, kuttiepie3, DDmasters, MagicMilkbone, AnimeRules4, Raifuujin, MCRDanime, Lia Alcona, SuperPaperPokemon, kittyfinatic515, MiniMiao, Meow-chan-15, Victini-Kumi, 7Nexus21, DNAuthor, Dumti, KarinMaaka07, Neko249, Niie-pyon, Optimistic Purple Elephant, Pb129, Ryo551, Simers, Tanaka Yue, Tempest J, Tricha Inuzuka, darkbeyonddeath666, dimensionalmagic10134, satheroth335, 3141Molly, Akane-Ri, CJSakura, Irisgarden799, SkyLion27, killer1316, moonlightshade, and oldspacecadet3! Thank you all as well as all the people who review anonymously and those who lurk~! And, of course, my sister who supports me by reading this story! Love you all! *showers you with love***

…**(Coughs) Okay. Done being mushy – go on. XDDD **

**Half way to one hundred, team! Fighting! (Raises Fist) **

**Lucid Nightmare Arc – END.**


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N: Hey, guys. Here's another pointless chapter~! If there's a lot of food mentioned, it's probably because I'm watching two of my favorite boys eat delicious-looking food and I haven't eaten much, since my throat was too hurt to swallow down the painfully solid food my family had for dinner tonight. Also, I'm sick – my throat hurts like heck and my nose is running, not to mention the random spurts of eye-watering, so if this chapter seems odder than usual, that's probably why. Colds suck. Immensely. Anyways, enjoy~? Also, it'll probably take me longer than usual to update again due to me wanting to focus on recovering my health and wanting to focus on my schoolwork for once (I'm a bad student, lol). **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama. **

Chapter Fifty One

I breathed out a huff of warm air that crystallized in the cool air, disappearing upward into the grey sky. We were currently just outside of Haido Department store, since Chikage was convinced that it was the best department store _ever._ She was quite adamant about going there instead of to the Ekoda outlet stores, so we had finally caved into her will. The building was large, towering over since it obviously had more than one floor and looked quite busy due to the Christmas season. People flowed in and out of the doors, an endless chain.

Out of habit, I latched onto Kaito's hand as we began our way inside, not wanting to get lost in the flood of people. Chikage walked ahead of us, a bounce in her step as she practically exploded with energy – I could tell she probably liked shopping as much as her son. At least I knew where Kaito got it from now, I mused with a smirk, glancing upwards to Kaito, who looked like he was already having fun despite us just arriving in the building. Warmth poured over us as we entered and Chikage turned to the both of us.

"I'm going to buy both of your presents, so I'll go on ahead~! Just don't go to the fifth floor, okay~?" She chimed, giving us a small little wave before quickly darting into an elevator just as the doors were about to close. She disappeared behind the two metal doors and I blinked in surprise at the sudden departure.

"Well, she kind of just gave away what she was getting us." Kaito chuckled, "The fifth floor mostly sells clothing and electronics."

I elbowed his thigh – the highest I could reach – in a mock-scolding gesture. "Kaito-niichan, don't ruin okaa-san's fun~! When we get the presents, at least _act_ surprised." I laughed, amused. He grinned down at me with a spark in his eyes, "Alright, squirt~!" He reached down and ruffled my hair playfully, giving my already messy hair an even more messed up look. Bringing my hands up to protect my hair, I shot him a small glare which he promptly ignored, pulling me over to the other shops on the first floor.

There were things from clothing stores to pet shops, and cafés. "Wanna check out the toyshop?" Kaito asked with a smile, easily maneuvering the both of us through the people to reach the store on the other side. I gave a short nod, thinking over what I could possibly get the Detective Boys from Christmas with my own money – we had all decided to meet up early on Christmas, exchange gifts, and hang out before we went separate ways to spend time with family and the such. Plus, we'd all feel bad leaving Agasa alone on the holiday.

Just as we were about to enter the toyshop, a familiar voice broke through my concentration. "Koizumi…," The tone was surprised and I turned around, face just as surprised as the voice sounded. There, just behind us, stood Conan and Ran in all their glory, holding hands much like Kaito and I were. "Edogawa-kun." I blinked, Kaito stopping as he realized I knew the two people. "And, Ran-neechan." I tacked on for the sake of courtesy. The two headed closer to us, Ran's face warm at the sight of a familiar face, while Conan inspected Kaito behind his glasses.

"Alice-chan!" Ran greeted happily and she looked up to Kaito, "Is this your brother?"

Well, this is a bit awkward. I brought a hand to the back of my neck sheepishly, giving a small grin, "I…guess you could say that." I murmured, looking up at her through my lashes – she looked a bit confused, but was satisfied with the answer. She offered Kaito a smile, "I'm Mouri Ran, it's nice to meet you." Her hand gestured to Conan, "And this is Edogawa Conan. He's staying with my family for a while." Both of them gave a small bow of greeting and I rolled my eyes as Kaito's earlier smile went from friendly to flirty in a mere second.

He gave a theatrical bow, popping a yellow rose into existence and presenting it to Ran, who looked a bit flustered. "It's always a pleasure to meet a lovely lady such as yourself – Kuroba Kaito, at your service~! Alice-chan is also staying with my family for a while." He peered up at her through his lashes with a look that would rather suit KID when he was trying to seduce a woman. I deadpanned, face palming when I looked over to Conan, who was now glaring daggers at my poor companion.

"A-Ah, thank you." Ran stuttered, accepting the rose a bit hesitantly. After a moment of slightly awkward silence, I cleared my throat noisily, easily gaining the attention of the other three. "So, um, what are you two doing here? Christmas shopping, too?" I inquired, giving Kaito a pout to convey my dislike of him flirting with Ran to which he returned with an overly innocent grin. He and I use that _way _too much…

"Oh, you're Christmas shopping, as well?" Ran gave another sweet smile, her eyes alight with joy. Christmas simply made everyone happy – no one could deny the feeling that practically radiated in waves off everyone during the season…well, other than a few people who were demented or bitter, but that was a completely different matter. I grinned, "Yup! Ch–err, okaa-san is upstairs buying our presents, so we can't go to the fifth floor." I chuckled, rewarded with a similar chuckle from Kaito and a bell-like giggle from the angel-like teen.

"I see." Ran hummed, "Actually, I was just going to buy Conan-kun's present myself. Do you mind if he stays with you two for a while?" She questioned, looking at Kaito more for confirmation than me – but, then again, he _was_ my guardian for the time being and would be the one watching both of us.

"Sure, that's fine!" Kaito agreed, putting a hand on my head and ruffling my hair _once again_. I flashed him a glare, but didn't make a move to remove the offending limb, slumping a bit in defeat. My hair couldn't be saved now – I was abandoning the prefix of fixing it. Sorry, hair. "I'm sure Alice-chan would be happy to spend time with Conan-kun, anyways. She talks about him quite a lot." The last part was mock-whispered, like it was some secret and my brow twitched.

My face flushed indignantly when Ran gave a small 'ohh', looking over to me with what seemed like knowing eyes. _Oh, gosh, they thought I was… _

I suddenly felt like smashing my head into the nearest surface, but resisted. But, only _just_. How could they possibly think I like the _chibi tantei_?! I mean, he was–! And I was–! It was just all baseless accusations that Kaito did to make me embarrassed, since he knew well enough that I talked about all of the Detective Boys equally, not just Conan – in fact, I tended to _avoid_ talking about Conan since it felt weird to talk about _Kudou Shinichi_ with _Kaitou KID_. I'd _definitely _get him back for this somehow…

His violet-blue eyes sparkled mischievously as he waved at Ran as she gave her thanks before heading towards a nearby escalator. She quickly disappeared in the flood of people sans Conan and Kaito released my hand so that I could walk next to Conan as we began a trek into the toyshop once more. As usual, he had his hands in his pocket with his usual disinterested expression, looking at the toys around, thoroughly unimpressed.

The toyshop was a decent size, plush animals stuffed in a big bin in the center of the room, along with a bin filled with plastic balls. The color of the shop mostly was focused on yellows and blues, all blindingly bright and made to entertain kids younger than Conan and I's physical age. Aisles ran throughout the shop, filled from top to bottom with toys covering each shelf, ranging from simple Barbie dolls to remote-controlled airplanes. As soon as we had entered the shop, Kaito had disappeared into one of the many aisles.

"Erm…sorry about Kaito-niichan flirting with Ran-neechan. He's like that with _everyone_ – trust me." I informed Conan in an exasperated voice, who turned his eyes to me. He followed me as I wandered into a random aisle, which happened to be the boys' toy section – I spotted something that looked familiar, almost like Pokemon, and another thing that looked similar to Ben 10, but I kept walking slowly, not particularly interested. "So, he's just a playboy, then." Conan stated in a deadpanned voice that had me snickering.

"You could say that, yeah~!"

After a moment of debate, I went on, "But he's a nice guy – plus, he already has his sight set on a certain girl. He just flirts for the entertainment of it all. No harm." I shrugged, stopping at a Kamen Yaiba toy that caught my interest. Hmm, all three would definitely like this… but who to give it to was the question of the day – all three of them _loved_ Kamen Yaiba.

The other pint-sized teen stopped by my side, still looking unimpressed by the toys all around and I popped out a question, "Hey, by the way, where's Kogoro-ojisan? I didn't see him earlier. At home watching Okino Yoko-san?" I checked the price on the Kamen Yaiba toy and with a decided nod, I pulled it down from the shelf, beginning to move on to find another gift. Conan followed as I rounded a corner and headed down another aisle, this one holding girl toys.

I grimaced at all the pinkness, immediately turning tail and heading into the next aisle, which was filled to the brim with stuffed animals. Again, Conan followed close behind, "Right on the mark." He smirked, amused. "Since it's close to the holidays, she's been holding special concerts and occhan is determined to watch them all." He gave a small laugh as we travelled slowly through the zoo-like aisle. Different colored bears and fluffy-looking dangerous animals were stacked together in a big, friendly, pile of fluff.

I paused in step, gazing at a pink, fluffy, teddy bear with a checkered black-and-white ribbon tied around its neck. With a grin, I pulled it off the shelf, where it was laying between a tiger and a much bigger bear; Ayumi would _definitely_ like this!

"By the way, Koizumi…," Conan started and I ignored the instinct to squirm as I glanced over to him. His eyes were narrowed in interest behind his glasses in that unnerving stare once more. By now, you'd think I'd be kind of used it. But I wasn't. It was still just as piercing as ever, feeling like it would dig under my skin, just to see what would make me tick – which, in hindsight, was probably what it was supposed to do. "You never told me that you were living with someone else. I always assumed that you were living with your own family, since you'd mention your 'brother' and 'sister'." He quirked a brow, following me as I broke eye contact and quickly rounded around the bend to more gender-neutral toys.

"You never asked." I quipped, flashing him a Cheshire smile, "Besides, it wasn't really that important. I mean, _you_ aren't living with _your_ parents, right?"

What to get Genta was the question of the day it seemed. I honestly had no idea what he'd like, other than food – specifically unagi. I bit my lip, eyes darting around. I guess I could give him the Kamen Yaiba toy, but then what would I get Mitsuhiko? A book? It sounded like a half-hearted gift at best and I didn't want him to feel like I spent the less time trying to choose his present than the others, but if I didn't, then what would I get Genta? I didn't know that much about him still personally, other than he loved food and sometimes said the most fascinated – and funny – remarks…

I blinked out of my thoughts, realizing I was overanalyzing a simple problem. It wasn't really my fault, though – I couldn't even remember a time when I wanted to buy a present for someone other than my sister. And even with her, I usually just gave both her and my mother hugs Christmas morning and would talk to my father over the phone… there wasn't much I usually did in preparation for Christmas. It was just a simple holiday that I'd spend at home, but now I had people to take into account. It was kind of disconcerting to think that I had more to do _here_ than _there_.

A cold chill slipped down my back and it had_ nothing_ to do with the weather outside.

"Koizumi?" My mind snapped back into reality and I quickly shuffled back from Conan's concerned face, which was right in front of me. "Err…sorry. Got distracted." I muttered lamely. His brows didn't move from their furrow and before I knew it, I was laughing at him, "Don't be so worried! It's _weird_." I chortled, slapping his back in a friendly gesture that might have been a bit too strong, seeing as he almost toppled off-balance. I got the perfect idea for Genta now!

He deadpanned at my mockery of his concern and his expression smoothed away – he probably thought it wasn't worth the trouble if I could mock him over it. Which, really, was the truth of the matter. I shot him yet another grin and began heading for the check-out counter. "Anyways, shrimp, how's the rest of December been? Other than that one murder, anything else interesting happen?" I questioned conversationally.

He gave a small, unsatisfied, hum in the back of his throat as we reached the counter. The woman behind it gave us a motherly smile as she began to scan my items. "Not really." He muttered, quirking a dry smirk, "Should I be worried that you think a murder is something interesting?"

"You find them interesting, so I can find them interesting, too!" I huffed with playful exaggeration. "Unless you're saying it's okay, since you're older than me or something, but we both know that's not true…, right?" I cast him a wayward glance with a smirk crawling on my lips slowly. A bead of sweat ran down his cheek as he resigned to his fate, "N-No, we're the same age…more or less."

"Well, then, nothing to be worried about, Edogawa-kun~" I hummed a bit sinisterly, paying for my items and thanking the woman behind the counter before grabbing my bags – which had my purchases – and heading off in the general direction of where Kaito vanished.

Without much choice, the chibi-tantei followed and as I spotted a familiar black cat, I beckoned him over with a hand and Kin easily clawed up my clothes to wind around my neck, most of his body resting in the hood of my coat this time. Conan deadpanned at the sight as I gave a grin. "Oh, there you are. I was wondering where you'd gotten to…_Jack_." I stifled a laugh as gold eyes stared at me balefully.

ooOOoo

"So, do you two already have plans for Christmas?" Chikage asked over dinner one night, taking a tofu from her bowl and popping it in her mouth with an interested expression directed towards both Kaito and I. Chikage had whipped together a hearty sukiyaki meal, which was now steaming from the place in the center of the table in a hot pot she'd fished from under the cabinet. It was warm – a welcomed attribute this time of year – and had tofu, beef, and a variety of vegetables to create a nice evening meal.

I blinked, slurping up some noodles from my bowl – I was still getting used to that not being rude here – and chewed on them curiously as I turned to Kaito. I had assumed that after the party with the Detective Boys and Agasa, that the three of us would spend some time together. It had completely eluded me that Christmas here wasn't as family-oriented as it was for parties and couples. I lowered my chopsticks, feeling a bit accomplished at my success with slurping noodles up despite having gotten a hang of the chopsticks a while ago. It was still very uplifting to know that if Akako and I ever went to get ramen again, I wouldn't make myself out to be a bumbling fool.

"Aoko and I are going to go to karaoke with some friends from school before heading over to shop in Shibuya." Kaito informed with a smile at his mother, easily speaking decently despite the piece of beef in his mouth. My lips curled up mischievously as Chikage and I exchanged knowing looks. Kaito was spending Christmas with Aoko, huh? A snicker was building up in my throat and begged to come out, but I held it in for the sake of not teasing Kaito – it just wouldn't be _ethical_. My grin grew the slightest.

"So, Alice-chan," As if sensing the atmosphere of his impending doom, Kaito quickly cut into the silence, turning the attention to me, "What do you have planned for Christmas?"

At the sudden shift in attention, I straightened almost unconsciously. "Um, nothing much. The Detective Boys and I do plan to spend some time at Agasa's house, but that's it." I told them, immediately taking out a beef and dipping it in raw battered egg. At first, I'd been skeptical about it due to salmonella and all, but after you first try it, you get over it – things like that just don't matter when it tastes good.

I popped the egg-covered meat into my mouth as Chikage once again began to speak. "That sounds like fun, you two!" She cheered in her ever-happy way. "But enough of that~!" Her friendly smile turned into a sharp grin that reminded me of when I was looking a mirror. "Tell us more about your date with Aoko-chan, Kai-chan~!" She crooned.

Dinner suddenly got a lot rowdier.

ooOOoo

"_Merry Christmas_!" I chimed in English as I walked into Agasa's house from the cold. Winter break had officially started on the twenty-fourth – just yesterday – and would extend until January seventh, so all the kids were free from school as of now. I closed the door behind me swiftly, shivering as warm air replaced the cold that had enveloped me just seconds before. I toed off my snow boots in the genkan and raised a hand to brush snow out of my hair. Next off was my scarf, jacket, and then my gloves and then I was on my way further into the house, Kin trailing by my side.

The low music of American Christmas carols rang throughout the building, gradually getting louder as I entered the main, center, room. Agasa was _obviously_ a sucker for the holiday – a large Christmas tree stood off to the side, brimming with decorations as a few presents were tucked beneath the plastic pine, and the whole house smelled of cookies and hot chocolate, put together with the fire-like warmth radiating throughout the house.

I easily spotted the kids and the good professor, getting happy smiles and waves. I hauled my small bag of present to the tree and tucked them underneath neatly, grinning to myself at the excited chatter that elicited from the kids at the sight of new things.

I turned and engulfed Agasa in a brief friendly hug before he led me over to where the others were sitting, all drinking hot chocolate and eating the cookies. Well, for Genta, it looked more like _inhaling_ cookies. Swiftly, I snatched a chocolate-chip cookie to make sure that by the time I got situated, there'd still be at least one left for me. Agasa handed me a steaming cup of the liquid chocolate and took a seat beside me on the couch. To my right sat Mitsuhiko and on the other couch in front of ours sat Ayumi, Genta, and Conan.

There was a long, comfortable chat as Kin snuggled into my lap, stealing crumbs that fell from my cookies and basically being a lazy cat in the familial atmosphere. His gift from me hung on his neck proudly. It was a black collar with a red stripe running through it, a small golden-like plague hanging from it with his name engraved in it. The good thing about engraving it myself is that I purposely made it reversible, so that on one side, it said 'Kin' and the other said 'Jack'. Currently, it was on the Jack side, glinting in the lighting from the holiday lights wrapped around the tree. And despite cat said to not be able to express emotion, I swear I saw his mouth curve into a smile when I'd strapped it around his neck.

I don't know how long we sat there talking, but it was already getting kind of dark when we finally decided to do our present exchange. I was the first to give away gifts, handing them to each person with accomplishment. They were all neatly wrapped boxes, the wrapping paper showing little drawings of what I assumed was Rudolf, since I wasn't sure if the story had the same name – I'd just saw it while getting wrapping supplies with Chikage and thought it was cute.

Ayumi was the first to rip the paper off box, revealing a plain box underneath. She blinked and I beckoned her on with a grin. She opened the box and gasped in delight, pulling out the fluffy bear I'd picked out for her. Her eyes glittered as she gave it a hug before coming over and pulling me into an unexpected hug. "Thank you so much, Koizumi-san! I've been wanting this bear for a while, but I never was able to buy it!" She gasped out happily, smile wide and child-like. It tugged on my heartstrings and I patted her back awkwardly, "No problem, Yoshida-san." I gave her a smile as she finally released me.

Next to open their present was Mitsuhiko, who thanked me wholeheartedly for the cool Yaiba toy. There were no awkward hugs exchanged, though, thank goodness. It wasn't like I _disliked_ hugs – in fact, I _loved_ them – but I liked to be the one to initiate the contact, otherwise it feels _weird_. Genta was ecstatic with his gift card for Columbo – as was Agasa, since I'd got them a set so they could go together. Last, but never least, was Conan.

"Erm, I wasn't quite sure what to get you, but I thought that you might like this, even though it's smaller than the others' things. I saw it while I was shopping." I muttered anxiously, a bit curious as to whether he would take it. I knew it was to his taste and I knew he didn't have one already, but still. Who can _not_ be nervous when giving a gift to the main character of their favorite anime? You'd obviously want them to approve of it. I handed him the small box.

He easily tore off the wrapping paper and lifted the lid of the tiny box before pulling out the string and letting the small soccer ball phone-strap hang. He blinked at it and I squirmed nervously, but I felt like I already knew his answer. Slowly, he put it back in the box and closed the lid, putting the tiny box in his pocket. His next words made my day.

"Thanks, Koizumi."

And just like that, I felt like I'd won the lottery.

ooOOoo

"Ah, Alice-kun, wait a moment." I paused at the genkan, boots already on and winter jacket halfway on one arm. I turned to look at the professor as he came closer to where I was. Everyone else was already gone, but I had stayed to help clean up the small mess we'd all made. "I have something to tell you about the necklace I gave you."

My eyes glanced downward to the necklace I was currently wearing. It was a small silver – painted gold – fox running in a random direction above an arrow, connected to a small metal bead that was attached to the metal chain that went decently low down my neck, reaching just below my chest. If I put it under my clothing, no one would be able to see it. I'd already learned that the fox could twirl on the metal ball, which was a cool feature. "What is it, Hakase?" I questioned curiously, tugging at the necklace to fix its awkward angle pointing towards the door.

He looked a bit nervous before he started talking again. "Well, you see, Alice-kun, as you know, Conan-kun tends to get a bit ahead of himself sometimes and it worries me that one day he'll go missing…," He trailed and I raised a brow. What the heck did my necklace have to do with Conan? I exchanged a look with Kin, who looked equally curious despite being a cat. Sometimes, I wonder about him…

"There's already two pairs of the Criminal Tracking Glasses, but that only works within a certain radius. So, I designed your necklace to be a counterpart of Conan-kun's glasses." He explained and I felt my mouth gape open in disbelief. This wasn't going where I think it's going, right? Sure enough, he continued, "Both the Glasses and your necklace are installed with a certain magnetic component that only reacts to its counterpart. Wherever the Criminal Tracking Glasses go, the fox points in the direction they are."

Oh my gosh, this was _serious_… I had a _tracking device_ for _Kudou Shinichi_. I'd know what direction he's in at all times… it sounded a bit stalker-ish in my head. "But…why'd you give it to me?" I asked in an incredulous whisper, now knowing why the angle was awkward. In fact, now, it was pointed to the left. My mind calculated the direction and I knew he was headed back to the Mouri Detective Agency. The knowing feeling whelled in my chest, leaving me a bit uncomfortable and I promptly stuck the necklace/gadget under my shirt so I couldn't see where it was pointing.

Agasa gave me a paternal smile. "Because I trust you, Alice-kun, and even though you and Conan-kun are always teasing each other, it's easy to see that you worry about him, too. And, if any smart criminals get a hold of him," The was a dark undertone to his words and I shivered as I realized he was talking about the Black Organization, "they wouldn't expect a child to have his whereabouts."

I gulped at the huge responsibility that he'd just unknowing chucked on my shoulders. I was basically the fail-safe for them if the idiot detective got captured by the big bads. I shook the thought away – after all, why worry when I knew they wouldn't catch him anytime in the timeline I've read? – and gave Agasa a thumbs-up and grin, picking Kin up easily.

"I see. Thank you once again for the necklace, Hakase." I thanked, feeling myself relax with the added assurance in my arms. "See you~!" With that, I finished pulling on my jacket one-armed and them quickly wrapped on my scarf before heading out into the cold snow of winter.

ooOOoo

I sighed happily, enjoying the walk back home. If there was one thing I loved about winter – it was the scenery. There was just something poetic about the never-ending white landscape, even with buildings and other people around to create colorful meshes. Everything just seemed to blend into the atmosphere to create a peaceful world. I really did love winter…

My thoughts were interrupted with a buzz and I blinked, carefully shifting Kin in my arms – after the first attempt of trying to put him down, I figured out his was scared of the snow; _big baby_… – and pulled my cellphone out of my jacket pocket, a grin growing on my face when I read it was Erise. I quickly opened the text and scanned it over. The Gomera cellphone strap Mitsuhiko had gotten me swayed as I continued to walk.

_Merry christmas, Midori-chan! Sorry that I couldn't see you today, but you know how family is sometimes, lol. xD Anyways, we'll still see each other this weekend, right? _

I laughed, clumsily texting my reply as I neared the Kuroba household. My boots crunched in the snow and it was already twilight out, so I knew Chikage would probably be home already from her visit to her friends' place. _Merry Christmas, Erise-chan! And it's okay, I know how family goes, lol. And yup! See you in two days! _

I clicked my phone shut and quickly entered the house when I arrived, eagerly welcoming the warmth and the smell of Christmas cake. And if there were a few boxes on my bed filled with girly clothing, the culprit _totally _wasn't Chikage. Please note my fond exasperation.

**Review Replies: **

**To: Iriss-sama – Thank you~! (Returns Hug) And I won't, don't worry! I'm having too much fun! XDDD (Laughs) Yup, she likes to cheat a lot when it comes to KID. XD I suppose it's her way to feel like she has an upper hand, lol. I would've been shocked, too. And would have promptly hung up. XDDD Their relationship is **_**allllll **_**about irony~! XDD And yeah, she'll just butter things over like that. XDDD It's in "Jester's" personality to do things like that. XD And no, it's not~! I do that too sometimes and then I realize that I said something that was unnecessary **_**after **_**I posted it… XD;;; Yeah, that's one of the ever-present challenges throughout the Revolver series. She's happy there, but she's also happy in her own world with her family, but she's also creating new "family" bonds with other people and the such, so… (Conflicted) I'm gonna feel kind of bad when I finally bring something serious up about that situation. XD And both worlds (DC universe and her universe) continue with their time-stream, so it's always moving. However…it's still not clarified if they move at the same time… (Sneaky Grin) ((And, yes, there are **_**a lot**_** of loop-holes in situations like these~! It's fun to spot them, lol)) And I'm excited for their heist, too! I can't wait to write it. I was supposed to, but life decided to get in the way… (Sighs) Oh my gosh! I love that idea~! It'd be fun to see that! XDDD I'll probably add that in! XDDD And yes, I'm really happy at how many names I was able to thank for supporting this story~! It made me feel all warm and bubbly inside~! (oh, there's my mushy side again. XD) And awesome! 8DD And thank you! My sister just recently watched FMA: Brotherhood and her favorite character is also Pride! XDD I've also wanted to do something like that! XDD *raises fist again* And thank you, Ri-chan~! (Returns Lucky Hug) Thank you once again~! *grins at Kaitou KID theatric bow before joining in* **

**To: MiniMiao – Thank you, thank you, thank you~! (Dramatic Bows) (Accepts Award with a Grin and Cuts Cyber Cookie Cake to share) And I'm glad you're excited! It was supposed to be in this chapter, but health issues and life got in the way. Sorry. ;_; But! I'm making it my goal to do it as soon as I get everything in check! (Determined) (Laughs) Yeah, a lot would happen if Midori/Alice got back home. XDDD You'll just have to wait and see~! Since you mentioned it, I realize that Conan – despite being the main character of the original show – doesn't show up too often in this story… Opps. XDDD; So, I added him in this one, along with a few other people who haven't appeared in a while. He'll also appear in more chapters, too! I'll be sure to add him in, lol. XDD And, nope, I haven't seen movie 17 yet, but I'm really looking forward to it! 8DD I'mma wait 'til it's English subbed, since otherwise I'll spoil things without knowing about the case (which is always a fun part~!). XD Don't worry, I'm like that too sometimes~! XDDD (you should've seen my reaction to the Q&A opening for DC, since I knew the Mystery Train Arc was closing in quickly and B'z is, like, my favorite Japanese band **_**ever**_**. XD) (Eats Piece Of Cookie) Thank you, MiniMiao~! **

**To: MagicMilkbone – Yup! Fifty! 8DDD Thank you so much! ^^ I'm glad I was able to surprise you with that. XD Spider was my little hidden card that I was excited to play, lol. XDD As for Midori's height, she is 5'6 (167 cm) and Kaito is 5'8 (170 cm) while Spider (in my story, anyways) is about 6'2 or 6'3 (187 cm or 190 cm). So, while she and Kaito are close in height, Spider would tower over her somewhat with his taller height. XD Here's the update~! I tried to add Kin more, but it's kind of hard since he doesn't talk. XDDD He'll definitely get his chance to shine, though! (Nods) **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – WOOOO~! (Celebrates with You) Thank you, E-chan~! 8DDDD ((And of course that secretly…we're just **_**that**_** awesome. – grins – )) And yes~! Jester Venom Gas for allllll~! (Evil Laughter) XDD I just love calling him Haku-boy. XD It's easier to say than Hakuba and it sounds funny~! XD *ignores displeased grumbles and laughs along with you* (Laughs) Perhaps… XDDD **

**To: DDmasters – …*stares in awed silence before…* PIES! Those sound really, really, good right now! XDDD *shares truckload with you while stuffing my face with pie~* Thank you, DDmasters! 8DD And who knows~! XDD It would probably be a battle for the fittest and she'd probably end up getting caught since she'd be between two geniuses, lol. XDD She'd be the "weak-link", so to say. XD Unfortunately, Conan won't be making an appearance this heist due to other reasons. XDD It would be very funny and interesting, though, if he did. (Thoughtful Hum) **

**To: Kotegawa Yuriko (all in one) – Yesh! I'm the cyber cookie monster~! **_**Rawr**_**! (Does completely unintimidating growl) …(Awkward silence)… **_**Annnnyyyways**_**, you're probably right. (Nods) I hate school with an audacious passion, so I probably do write more during the school time to avoid work. XDDD (Laughs) Yes, I tend to do very large A/Ns, whether at the end or the beginning. XDD It's a bad habit, but meh. (Shrugs) (Proudly Accepts World-records award for longest A/N) XDD And I eat so many cyber cookies since my readers reward me with cyber cookies~! They're yummy and low on calorie (lol – sorry, forgive me slap-stick humor. XD) and they're cyber! Who doesn't like a little data bits for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack, right? XDD **

**-Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it was short than it was supposed to be because of my health and other things. XD Next one **_**will**_** be the heist – promise! Though, it may take a while, since I'm going to take some time to focus on my health and schoolwork. Also, if this chapter seems cruddy, it's because **_**I**_** feel cruddy. Apologizes. (Bows) Anyways, see you next time~! 8DD **


	52. The Pari Passu Heist

**A/N: This turned out pretty long. XDDD I didn't expect it to get this long, but it did. Oops. But, I guess that's for making you wait for the heist and such. XD Again, not much action, but… (Shrugs Helplessly) I hope it's still enjoyable! 8D Anyways, I hope you enjoy and stuff! ^^ Night life of the red-light districts…will the heist make it through okay? XD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama. **

Chapter Fifty Two

There had been a hidden box of new clothes in my closet, carefully placed in the darkest spot of the niche with clothes covering most of it from view. Of course, at the sight of something new and foreign in my closet, I naturally panicked a bit before prodding at it carefully, pulling out the clothing as if it was an explosive time-bomb. The lid on the box didn't have any name written on it or any indication of who had gotten me the clothing, but I could guess.

The must larger clothing would never fit on Alice's small frame, so I had to automatically assume it was for when I was, well, taller, despite the fact that no one in this household knew the truth. Or, so I thought.

After putting the clothes back away in an anxious frenzy, I hurried down the stairs, feeling the innate need to confront the woman I knew was responsible. Chikage was cooking in the kitchen, humming happily to herself, as if she didn't do something completely revealing of her knowledge. I relaxed slightly, seeing no ominousness of difference in her behavior and as I walked in, we merely shared two knowing glances before going into the normal routine.

When Kaito got back home a bit later, he didn't notice that anything was different.

And I never did confront Chikage, nor did she confront me.

We had come to a mutual understanding.

ooOOoo

I shuffled nervously, pulling at my clothes to look neater despite knowing that I was already the neatest I would get. Kin was perched on my shoulder, seemingly annoyed at my twitchy behavior. Today, I'd be meeting Erise's mom. Sure, it was really nothing to fuss over, but if her mother was as intimidating as Erise's dad then there would be tension throughout the whole meeting, I knew. I cleared my throat, adjusting my scarf awkwardly, before ringing the buzzer at the front gate.

A voice poured through the speaker automatically, sounding amused and familiar. "Hello, who is it?" The smile was practically tangible and I rolled my eyes briefly, a grin splitting at my lips. "The milk man. I'm here to deliver some dairy products." I joked, hearing the click of the lock on the gate unlocking. With a chuckle, I pushed open the gate, the metal cold against my fingers. It creaked in the cold, some ice breaking as I pushed it from the position it'd been in for a while.

Erise lived in a big house, somewhat like a mansion, but still not as large as the Kudou mansion. The large gate in front of her house was constantly locked and the metal barring only was big enough for a car to fit through before breaking off to solid, concrete, walls to protect the inside of the estate. I closed the gate pensively behind me, for the first time behind the walls of the gates. The only times I'd ever been to Erise's house was to drop her off and I'd always been on the _other side_ of the walls.

A snowy driveway led into a currently-closed garage and the decently sized yard was covered in the crystalized substance of snow, dusting what was obviously a garden hidden beneath the frost. I brushed my cheek absently against Kin's as I headed on the small path way that led up to the front door of the big house. Said house was painted colors of muted orange-beige while other parts were a creamy white; icicles hung low on the porch cover above the door.

The door swung open before I could even knock, revealing a grinning Erise, eyes sparkling in happiness despite the sudden coldness she must've gotten from the backdraft, especially in her meager shorts and thin long-sleeved shirt. I could see goosebumps appear on the exposed skin of her wrists, but her smile never faltered; that's what was so great about Erise – even when she was down or something unfavorable happens, she was always looking on the bright side of things.

"Midori-chan!" She greeted, pulling me inside and promptly shutting the door behind us to stop the flow of cold air streaming into the house. Goosebumps formed on my skin at the sudden change in temperature, but I flashed her a thankful smile for bringing me in from the cold, Kin shaking himself off a bit before making a graceful leap from my shoulder down onto the wooden floors just beyond the genkan. His tail flicked to and fro as his golden eyes took in the new scenery.

I pulled off my coat and scarf, easily stuffing them into my bag, before toeing off my sneakers – which weren't the best for when it snowed, but I didn't have snow boots for this form as of now – and stepping over the slightly large step to get into the actual house. "Pardon the intrusion." I mumbled politely, and stiffly, giving a small bow of greeting to a woman who had just come into the room. Erise's mother, it was obvious.

The woman had light brown hair cut in a short bob-cut, framing her face in a neat display very different from my messy locks jutting out in every random direction possible – suddenly, I felt like smoothing down my hair and my fingers twitched as I resisted the urge. She was aged, but not horridly _old_-looking, with laugh lines visible since she was smiling; her eyes, a sky-blue the exact shade of Erise's, crinkled into eye-smiles as she gazed at me. She looked nice enough, but if I had learned anything throughout life, it was to never judge a book by its cover.

However, it seemed her appearance was a perfect depiction of herself and I felt myself letting out a silent sigh of relief, much to Kin's obvious amusement as he snaked through my legs in the way cats did when they didn't realize you were supposed to be walking, not tripping over them. However, he seemed to know exactly what he was doing, what with that smug look on his face that just really_ shouldn't be possible on a cat's face…_

"Hello, Koizumi-san. I'm very pleased to finally meet you. Thank you for being one of Erise's friends." Her mother began gently, giving me a small bow of appreciation. Erise let out a soft groan of 'mom…' in embarrassment, but otherwise didn't comment on the display. Feeling a bit uncomfortable at being bowed at by an older woman, I waved my hands around in dismissal. "A-Ah, it's alright! No big deal!" I shot out, "It's my pleasure!"

There was a moment of silence – _oh gosh, did I say something wrong?_ – before she giggled behind her hand, like a true lady would. "Oh, Erise, you were right. She is quite the jumpy one." A bead of sweat ran down my cheek as I recalled Erise's dad saying the same thing about me when he first met me. I wasn't _that_ jumpy…was I?

She gave another motherly smile, offering out a dainty hand. "My name is Ryukaze Amaterasu." Shining heaven, what a fitting name, I thought inwardly, lifting my hand to given her hand a gentle shake. "Koizumi Midori. It's nice to meet you." We exchanged a few more short pleasantries (she also greeting Kin with a pat on the head) before she went back to do what she'd been doing previously. Erise and I ended up in her bedroom, which was indescribably…_polka-dotted_.

The wallpaper of her bedroom was a light blue with different sized and colored circles splayed across randomly, her bed sheets polka-dotted in different shades of pink, and even the floor mat in the middle of her room was white with colored polka-dots. Her room was very colorful compared to my new _and_ old one – my old one had more of myself in the decorations, but it wasn't so…_neon_. She must've noticed my surprised expression because Erise gave a laugh as she plopped down on one of the beanie bags in her room.

I graciously took a seat on the other, leaning back against the frame of her bed comfortable as kin curled into my lap for another one of his impromptu naps. "I once told my father that I liked polka-dots when I was younger and then he told my mother and they redecorated my room one day. I was really happy about it at the time, and I guess I just never grew out of the habit of getting things with polka-dotted patterns." She chuckled, shifting into a more comfortable position and reaching over to a small bag on her bed.

"Here – for Christmas! This was the first time I'm actually giving something as a present this time of year! It's pretty cool how Americans celebrate Christmas!" She grinned happily, eyes sparkling as she handed me the light bag. I gave her a thankful smile and fished around in the pockets of my jeans, pulling out a small bag that was similar. She took it and we both opened it at the same time, both blinking in surprise once we saw the contents.

We emptied the bags, pouring the few handmade friendship bracelets into our waiting palms. I glanced up at Erise, gauging her reaction – she still seemed surprised, but looked amused and happy at the gift. The six bracelets in her hand were weaved together with pink, purple, blue, orange, white, and yellow string, round due to my inadequacy at doing the flat type of bracelet. She easily tied them onto her right wrist before looking up to me for my reaction.

I offered her a grin, flashing a thumbs-up as I glanced down at the bracelets in my hands. The colors she'd chosen were perfectly the colors I liked – weaved with midnight blue, silver, red, black, yellow, and orange. Hers were flat, unlike mine, and some beads littered throughout the bracelets, adding flavor to them. Hers had _definitely_ turned out a lot better than mine, despite my effort-filled nights trying to figure out how exactly you were supposed to intertwine the strings.

"Thank you, Erise-chan!" I hummed, "I love them!" Easily, I tied all six – and who would've thought we would have the same idea _and_ same number? – onto my left wrist, the bell on my changer bracelet jingling faintly.

"You, too, Midori-chan!" She replied joyously, "They turned out really nice! Sorry for mine, I couldn't get the rounded way to work." She gave a small pout before we laughed, knowing what complete opposites we were just by looking at the bracelets. It was actually really amusing.

ooOOoo

I ran a hand through my hair in a bored manner, looking through a magazine filled with household products. Why was I reading this, you may ask? Well, I was bored. Simple as that, really. I laid on my bed on my stomach, legs raised and kicking absently in the air as I propped my chin on my cheek, flipping pages with my free hand. It was mid-day on Sunday and I had decided yesterday that I wanted to do absolutely nothing today. Perhaps not my best decision, seeing as I was currently being killed by boredom – finally, an unsolvable crime for the Heisei Holmes, I chuckled internally.

Just as my eyes were drooping despite it being too early to fall asleep, a ringtone rang throughout my room, startling both me and Kin out of our drowsy states. At my non-concentration being broken so suddenly, my chin slipped out of my palm and I ended in a face-plant in the magazine I'd been reading, web-gloss crinkling under head. I growled deep in my throat out of irritation, crinkling my nose in distaste as I raised my head to glare at the black device over on my night-table.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes, deciding to just pick it up, if only to get it to _shut up_. I rolled off to the side of my bed, Kin easily avoiding my log-like path to the edge of the bed, hand reaching up to grab the phone as I threatened to roll right off onto the floor. My sleepy glare perhaps became a bit darker at the name flashing on the outer screen of the phone. _This damn… _

I snapped open my phone, clearing my throat.

"Hattori Heiji," I droned sarcastically, letting him know my displeasure of him calling at this exact moment, "what a surprise." Sometimes, I feel like Heiji has the worst timing _ever_. He chuckled on the other side, sounding completely amused at my apparent 'suffering' at his call. "_As charming as ever, Midori-han._" I raised a quiet brow at his equally sarcastic tone, feeling a grin pull up on my lips despite my previous bad mood.

Giving a dramatic sigh, I flipped the short strands of my hair, despite him not being able to see it – a carry on from when I'd be fooling around with my sister. "Thank you, thank you~! I know, I'm amazing~!" I joked, laughter bubbling in my voice. Heiji once more laughed over the line, a feeling of comfort welling in my stomach. Even if my sister wasn't here, Heiji always gave me that familial feeling I'd missed so very much – the one I'd get from just spending time with my sister or talking over opinions with my mother. Kaito and Chikage were close, very close – and I did consider them family – but they gave a completely different familial feeling. Heiji's was so close to my sister's – warm, caring, joking, and teasing; someone to depend on.

"_Alright, Midori-han – enough of your bragging._" He joked lightly, a grin tangible in his voice. "_So, how've you been?_"

"Pretty good, actually. It was a bit strange spending Christmas here, but it was alright. Nothing too bad. And everyone around here probably went through with the whole gift concept, since they knew that I did those types of things." I hummed, fiddling with the ends of my bangs that were hanging low over my forehead, falling over my eyes gently. I'd always thought about getting them cut to just above my eyebrows, but the first time I did that, they'd ended up in a straight cut that looked odd and out of place with the rest of my hair.

To say the least, I'd ended up regretting the decision a lot afterwards, especially since I couldn't exactly hide the odd look behind anything and had been forced into publicly humiliating myself by going out of the safe sanctuary my house provided. Not my…_best_ decision.

"How've you been? Did you go to a party?" I asked curiously, flipping over from my stomach onto my back to stare up at the ceiling. I traced the creases with my eyes, making out random shapes like one did with clouds. He sighed over the phone and I cocked an eyebrow questioningly.

"_I've been good – the usual amount of cases despite the holiday, but that was alright. But…,_" A small smirk quirked onto my lips. Let me guess… "Is it about that 'aho who doesn't know anything about privacy' that you mentioned the other time?" There was a startled silence as Heiji took the time to process my question.

"_Midori-han…,_" His voice wavered – he sounded a bit…disturbed? "_Do you have a photographic memory?_"

My brows furred together at the odd question before it hit me. He was put-off that I'd remembered his exact words despite being exhausted the time he mentioned that particular subject. A sharp grin spread across my face, all teeth. "Eh, it's selective~!" I hummed, amused at his reaction. Just because I was always joking around and such didn't mean I didn't pay attention – in fact, during my bouts of silence when I wasn't being focused on, no one noticed how much was visible to the ones who perceived from an outsider's view. Observing the world was interesting.

He chuckled, relaxing from what I could tell. "Yeah, it's about that aho." He admitted, sounding exasperated. "_Her name's Toyama Kazuha, my childhood friend. That fussy woman dragged me to… every…single… party her friends held. And that's a lot. Kazuha has a lot of friends, so it took up most of my free time._" He sighed, but it was fond.

"_Ohhh_, sounds like _love_~!" I crooned, "No man follows a woman everywhere unless they_ love_ her~!" I turned to the black cat curled into my side and he looked up, proceeding to 'groom' my lips since I'd turned to face him. "Isn't that right, Kin-chan~?" I snickered, granting him a nice scratch behind his ears and under his chin, causing him to stop short of his actions to purr in pleasure.

Heiji spluttered on the other side – some random, illegible, mixture of 'what?! I don't love Kazuha!' and 'crazy cat lover – how can you like that hand-biter?'. His embarrassed horror – and grudge against Kin – was much to my amusement, and he finally switched the subject once he realized I could tease him for the rest of eternity if he didn't.

And, a few hours later, after a long chat, I hung up the phone, content.

ooOOoo

Heiji set his phone down with a small grin, glad he called. He pulled out his desk chair, plopping down in it and grabbing a small notebook that he usually reserved for hard cases. He supposed he could consider this one a case, though, so it was completely fine. He grabbed his mechanical pencil, clicking the eraser down to gather a bit more lead at the bottom before beginning to write down his newest observations of his friend.

He felt a bit wrong writing this behind her back, but his curiosity squashed what little remnants of guilt he had left once he thought of how she was keeping secrets from him either way, so the slightly broken trust between them was mutual. Sure, he trusted her to do the right things – morally – but there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that told him 'More! There's more!'.

He wanted to know. Heck, he knew _Kudou_ wanted to know.

But, he was determined to figure out first.

The one page he had on Midori was short and filled mostly with little theories about her that he'd had when they'd first met. He quickly flipped the page, jotting down more information. Today on the phone, she'd sounded different – well-rested for one. And she'd sounded lighter, younger – child-like. It was pretty obvious to him that she'd been in her younger form when talking with him on the phone today; admittedly, he was a bit surprised that she hadn't even bothered to cover it up, since she seemed the type, but maybe she didn't care since he already knew. He wasn't sure – it was hard to tell with her.

The second thing to note was that…she had mentioned that it had been strange to spend Christmas in Japan – and since she mentioned gift-giving, it was likely that she usually spent Christmas somewhere that it was common to give friends and family gifts for that particular holiday, which most certainly wasn't Japan. But, according to her, she'd been born and raised in Osaka before moving to Tokyo due to her American mother. But, Heiji knew it was possible that she'd always went to America to visit relatives during Christmas and, for some reason, hadn't this time, but it seemed a bit farfetched.

A lot of her mannerisms were Americanized, as well. It was hidden quite well, but there were the small indications; how she held her chopsticks, how she spoke with a sort of Americanized flair despite her flawless Japanese, creating some strange intonations, and how she bowed a _bit_ too deeply when greeting someone as if unused to it. Another thing to note was that, despite appearing not to pay particular attention to anyone, she had been well enough – despite her exhaustion – to remember his exact words. _Not to mention…_

His pencil paused at the thought and he brought it up to tap against his lip in curiosity, feeling a cold feeling sink into his skin. For some odd reason, the realization of this clue, in particular, left him with a disturbed feeling in the pit of his chest.

The Kansai-ben that had always occupied Midori's voice when speaking had completely vanished without a trace (and he knew that wasn't possible for how native her Osaka-ben sounded, bordering on his strength) along with her matured voice, as if they were two different people with the same mind.

He refused to think of the implications behind that.

ooOOoo

"Eh? You're leaving already?" I asked in surprise, watching Chikage roam around the house, gathering belongings and tidying a few things. A purse was slung around her right shoulder and a big luggage waited at the genkan for her departure, filled with different things she'd deemed worthy to bring along on her trip. It was the twenty-eight of December and I had expected her to stay for New Years, seeing as it was the more important holiday for the Japanese; but, it seemed like she was leaving. Kaito stood next to me, looking amused at his mother's whimsical ideas. He didn't find it strange that she was suddenly leaving, which really wasn't as surprising as it should've been.

"Yup! There's still a lot more to do and see in this world and I have to see it all!" Chikage giggled, sweeping on an unnecessarily large faux-fur coat that reminded me of the one Cruella de Vil wore. She turned to us from the front step, all clad in fancy clothing and small black pumps. It looked like she was a famous fashion designer, truthfully, which her red lipstick and poised stance. "Alright, kids, I'll be back soon enough! Take care of the house, don't set anything on fire, or blow anything up, don't stay up too late, do your homework, eat _three_ meals a day–" She sent me a meaningful glance at that one, "–and don't open the door for strangers, okay?"

After the long ramble of 'don'ts', she gave Kaito a loving kiss on the forehead and kissed the crown of my head quickly before she was gone in a flurry of clacking heels, rolling wheels, bags, and faux-fur. That was…rather sudden.

Talk about whiplash, I mused to myself, blinking at the suddenly empty doorway.

I turned to Kaito with a slight smile, "Where's C–okaa-san going this time?" I asked curiously, slowly making my way back into the house with the phantom thief by my side. His violet-hued eyes blinked before looking up to the right, trying to remember. This Saturday, Kaito had already made arrangements for me staying over at Akako's house on Wednesday – the night of the heist – so I was pretty certain he already knew where she was going. "You know, I don't think she ever mentioned…," Or not. He gave the smallest hint of a displeased frown before it disappeared as he shrugged making his way into the kitchen. "Oh well."

O…_kay_ – that was a bit strange. Usually, Kaito always has the answers to where his mother has been and where she'll be going next. I brushed it off, walking into the kitchen after him, seeing he was already beginning to take out familiar ingredients for dinner. I groaned.

"Kaito-niichan...," I whined, "Curry _again_?"

And just when I'd thought I wouldn't have to have it again for a decent amount of time...

ooOOoo

It wasn't long before it was already New Year's Eve, the day of Jester and KID's first heist together. Kaito, thinking I didn't know his real intentions, had sent me to Akako's house for babysitting, saying it would be best to spend the day and eve with relatives and to not worry about him, since he'd be spending the day with Aoko and her father. So, with a grin, he'd sent me to Akako's house and everything with Alice's alibi was set. No need to worry about it now.

Akako had been a bit surprised to know that I'd be holding a heist tonight, but had rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and had half-heartedly offered me wishes of success before walking off before I could tell her anymore details. She may have also given me a threatening glare to not get hurt this time around, or she'd be forced to put me under a survival spell that essentially made you immediately turn tail at the slightest sight of danger – which would be unhelpful, since danger included police and I _couldn't_ afford to run from my own heist empty-handed like a coward. So, I'd left with a solemn promise of no injuries this time around.

Hopefully, I could keep it.

I rolled my shoulders carefully, stretching my limbs and legs for the long night ahead. My mouth let out small coughs and odd noises once in a while, getting prepared to speak in Jester's voice all night. My eyes glided across the safe room of The Den and landed on the whiteboard. Walking over, I grabbed a black marker and quickly jotted down 'in progress' across the scribbled plans and layouts. Kaito and I had planned it out for a while. Due to the high number of Yakuza in the area – seems it was the same here and in my world – we had decided to make it quick. No flashy entrances or exits unless necessary and we'd grab the gem and leave just as quickly, to one of our hideouts.

Since I had Kaito's phone number and had the unknown upper-hand, I had told him we'd go to my secret hideout instead of his – mostly because his was inside _his house_ and I felt bad that he had nothing on me. To say he'd been surprised that I was willing to guide him to my secret place was an understatement. He'd sincerely asked me if I had a fever. I mean, _jeez_! I didn't have _so _much trust issues to ensure that, did I? Either way, I berated him over the phone before hanging up in a huff – which was a bit _rude_, but, hey, he'd just insulted me, too, in a way.

After getting all my gear on – boots, gloves, hat, mask, makeup, pouch with tools, card gun tucked in my boot, helpful charm, backup plan paper – and double-checking that everything was well and working, I headed out of The Den to go meet Kaito at Kabukichō at two AM.

ooOOoo

Kai – er, KID – had gotten there before me, leaning up against a wall just outside the red glowing sign that brought you into the heart of the red-light district. He was dressed in, low-and-behold, an outfit that made him look like a rejected motorcyclist, but it fit in with the people milling around the area well enough. I recognized it as the outfit he'd worn during the Purple Nail heist, which would happen in the future.

As for me, I was wearing tight black jeans – courtesy of Chikage; figures she'd get me skinnies, though they had the convenient feature of being zip-ups – over my mismatched leggings, my boots the same mismatched colors that could come off as a failed fashion statement, a dark sweatshirt, my blue scarf, and my fedora (which could also pass as a fashion-fail). Dark sunglasses were perched on the bridge of my nose, hiding my eyes from the fluorescent lights all around. Despite the unholy hour, millions of people were still around, flowing in and out Kabukichō like a sea. The smell of alcohol was faded in the air, but I recognized it well enough to make it out, along with the smell of cigarettes burning.

KID waved me over, hat brim pulled so low over his face that I couldn't even see the edges of his eyes, the millions of lights around only serving to hide his face in shadows even more. Being in the city so late made me wary and I scurried over quickly, latching onto his arm for the security and reassurance of having someone else with me. I wasn't alone this time – I finally had someone to depend on in these types of situations. He didn't comment at the small show of nervousness, though, playing along, looping his arm through mine and beginning to guide us further in.

We passed under the bright red glowing sign and my eyes widened unnoticeably behind my sunglasses and I glanced through the stores, spotting scantily clad woman dancing on poles and people making business deals that looked more than a _little_ shady, briefcases exchanged with paranoid glances. Quickly, I averted my eyes to Kaito, wanting to focus on anything _except _what was going on around me. If I did, holding a heist here would make me feel like I was just stooping to _their_ levels and the thought made me sick to the stomach.

Thankfully, KID came to my rescue. "I couldn't help but notice that there isn't the slightest sign of police anywhere near here, Noriko-san." He muttered under his breath so that only I could hear his words. Loud crashes sounded from the right, where an open bar was, as a drunken argument erupted. Nobody made a move to stop them. "Why's that?" His voice was calming and I found myself relaxing a bit, despite passing many couples with a woman dressed with too-short shorts and the man with a bad look to his face – too ugly to have scored someone as pretty as the woman with personality (which was probably unpleasant) and looks alone – and several old business men with a creepy expressions on their faces as they entered, what appeared to be, stripper clubs.

This place scared me, truthfully.

"Well," I began nervously before sliding on Jester's usually confident mask, a shark-grin appearing on my lips. "I kind of forgot to tell them we'd be holding a heist. Oops?" I chuckled, unrepentant. KID may have morals against not sending notes, but I found it preplanned suicide to send a note to a place within a red-light district and with Yakuza crawling everywhere. Several of the people just walking around had sleeve-arm tattoos and some piercings, pretty girls with lots of jewelry and makeup hanging off their arms like the leeches they were.

_Disgusting_.

He glanced down at me with the hint of a frown behind his pokerface. "Noriko, that's bad publicity for me – I _never_ do a heist without sending a note, no matter the area." He hissed somewhat quickly, rolling his eyes at my ensuing innocent grin. "I'm the leader this time – I get to call the shots. Besides, if we do this quick enough and without incident, they won't even know it's you. Promise. If it'll make you feel better, I'll leave a note tacked on the wall, saying it was my handy work. Without a note, the officers can enjoy their holiday, too. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I'd leave a note in the heist building." I mused, feeling guilt start to well in my chest at the honest displeasure Kaito was displaying at my lack of heist note sending.

"Ah, the note you left besides that _Apple of Discord_ painting?" He asked, tone amused, deciding to dismiss the other topic for now. "The police were completely paranoid you'd actually steal the painting, but you never did." He let out a laugh, "That was a bit cruel of you, since you'd already taken that expensive jewel beforehand and the museum couldn't afford to lose anything else." I shrugged carelessly at his analysis, holding back a grimace as we passed by two smashed fools unconscious in an alley from drinking too much. Again, barely anyone else paid attention to them.

"It's fun to mess with cops." I answered back, snickering into my hand.

There was a brief silence as we continued to walk through the city, lights flashing and changing and coloring everything like one would see in New York's Times Square. The shady people continued passing us without a single glance as we headed to the jewelry shop further in. I straightened as we neared slightly, only to look over to my companion once more as he spoke.

"About those gems you took – the Ruspoli Sapphire Crystal and the DeLong Star Ruby – do you…ever plan to return them?" Ah, so that also made him uncomfortable. The fact that I kept the gems while he gave them back was hindering him into completely cooperating with me. But, I had plans for those gems – a plan that would be fun to see the reaction of. I grinned at him, removing my arm from his hold and giving him a firm pat on the back, the bell around me wrist jingling briefly.

"Don't worry! Once I find the gem I'm looking for, I'll give them all back. For now, they're my babies, alright?" I joked, giving him the most reassuring expression I could manage. He stared for a moment, looking deep in my eyes to gauge my sincerity before nodding, deciding to take my word. "Alright, I believe you." He smiled, looking amused. We were so close to the shop now, and our conversation was steadily coming to a close as we both tensed a bit. It wasn't like either of us to just waltz in the front door…

"Your babies, huh?"

"Yup! My precious babies that I feed, change, carry, clean…," I murmured, slowly getting quieter as we neared before stopping completely as we came to a stop in front of the door. The shop was a small hole-in-the-wall and didn't have any glowing lights despite the flashing green and blue 'OPEN' sign on the glass door. Despite having glass as the main wall between the shop and the streets, it was tinted so darkly that you couldn't see inside of the building. On the edge of the 'OPEN' sign, there was an unreadable, faded kanji hid just beneath it. _What did it…_

Just as I was about to lean closer to get a better look, KID opened the door with a signaling jingle and pulled me in by the hand, looking completely at ease as we entered. The door closed behind us silently and I mourned the loss of the fluorescent lights as we entered the dim building, small display lights on the jewelry all around in display cases the only source of light, making the room seem smaller than it was; some jewelry was outside of cases, deemed unimportant for protection unlike the others. An old man stood behind the register, a large beard and untamed mustache on his face along with bushy brows and small spectacles.

We walked towards him and I calmed my beating heart, remembering that this store didn't have any security cameras according to KID. I trusted this information, I trusted KID, I trusted that we _wouldn't get caught_. We wouldn't get caught, we wouldn't get caught, _we wouldn't get caught_…

KID squeezed my hand, as if sensing my anxiety, which wasn't actually too farfetched. I was horrible at hiding it and even the old man had looked over to me with a narrow-eyed look that froze me deep into my bones. Not because I was scared I'd been spotted, but because his eyes reminded me oddly of Gin's – cold and unforgiving and _hollow_, like they'd look into your soul and rip it to shreds at the slightest touch. Suddenly, I found it hard to breath, my throat clogging up.

I wanted to go home.

"My, my…," The old man mused and he quirked a snide smirk behind his mustache and beard, making the greying hairs move upwards. "It seems two black sheep have entered the shop."

We both stiffened and my hold on Kaito's hand was so tight, I could feel his bones shifting underneath his muscle and skin, but he honorably didn't say a word about it or express any type of pain. If I didn't admire him so much at the moment, I'd smack his head for not telling me it hurt. KID gave a pleasant smile, "I don't know what you're–"

He was cut off by the old man once more. "Come now, children – you don't think I can tell what you're about to do? It's obvious in your girlfriend's nervous demeanor, son. There's no need to pretend, there's no one else here but us." I was hyperventilating by now (did he just call me Kaito's _girlfriend_?! _Yuck_!) and the old man moved from behind the counter and began to head our way and KID's free hand was inching towards his pocket, where he had flash and smoke bombs hidden, and my legs felt like they'd give out – a contemplative idea of shoving KID forward and making a mad dash for it by myself flickered briefly in my mind before I shoved it aside – and the old man…

…_walked past us, to the door._

Eh?

We both turned our head around to watch him behind us over our shoulders as the old man flicked a small switch near the door, causing the 'OPEN' sign to shut off. The old man then proceeded to lock the door, dead bolting into place. So much for making a mad dash for it, huh? Then, he turned to us and he had such a cruel smile that his image blurred briefly to flashing teeth in darkness, the metal of a gun held by a man in sunglasses, and long silver hair disappearing around the corner of an alley.

My heart jumped into my throat and I shuffled closer to KID, glad to have a warm reassurance pressed against my shoulder tightly as he took the initiative to wrap his other arm around my torso to make a quick escape, if needed. He'd been the one to look for the layout of the building , after all, and he probably knew of an escape route by heart while I'd have to look down to my blueprints. Ah, the downfall of not being able to memorize blueprints by heart…

I swallowed thickly, but quickly compensated for my hazardous bad-acting from before. "A-Ah, ya got us." I gave a giggle – _ugh…someone kill me_ – and batted my lashes at him behind my sunglasses, knowing he'd be able to see a _bit_ of the motion and pressed myself against Kaito's chest in what may have appeared to be a tantalizing way. Shuddering off the _utterly disgusting_ feeling of pressing up against, what may as well have been, my _brother _and the suddenly darkened look in the old man's eyes, I offered a cat's smile.

Almost immediately, the man nodded with a greasy grin and gave us a 'one moment' gesture before heading into a backdoor, shutting it behind him to get whatever the hell he thought we were here for. As soon as he was out of sight, I slumped, putting some space between KID's body and mine, my forehead pressed against his shoulder. "KID, this has gone downhill fast. Whatever crack that guys on is _powerful_, since he has yet to call the cops on us and thinks he knows what we're here for." I whispered, shakily breathing in the scent of roses, musk, and chocolate that always lingered on my companion and keeping up the act as 'couple'. _Guh…_

Muscle moved beneath my forehead as he shifted slightly, "I don't like this, either. But, we'll just have to play along until we get the chance to snag the gem." We couldn't do it now, since we had no idea when the man would be back, since we didn't know what he was getting. "Then, we'll leave out the back door. It's through the door he just went in, the storeroom, and leads into a back alley. We'll run to the train station and mix in with the crowd." He affirmed, patting my back gently to comfort me and I nodded, biting my lip in worry before I removed myself from his general vicinity, readying for whatever would come back along with the man.

It was more than a little frustrating to be able to see our target – the _Pari Passu_ – sitting happily in its case just to the right of us. So close, yet _so far_.

It was only a few short, tense, moments later when the old man came back, holding a small bag with a clutch opening. He heaved it on top of the desk and we walked forward as he beckoned us with an aged hand. We moved forward in a lean to see what was in the back as he opened it slowly before revealing the contents with pride. Several of black, semi-automatic, guns were piled high in the bag, looking new and shiny despite the dim lighting. There was a small plastic container inside, sitting at the top of the pile, filled to the brim with seven millimeter bullets. KID tensed as my mouth _begged_ to gape.

Suddenly, it all made sense. The faded kanji just behind the 'OPEN' sign – 銃. Jū. _Gun_.

This place was a freakin' _illegal firearms shop_!

My eyes flashed to KID's in rage and we had a silent conversation as the man waited for a reaction. _"What the hell?! KID?! How did you not figure this out beforehand?!"_ and _"How the hell was I supposed to know?! I thought you were the one doing the background checks for this place!"_ along with several choice curses of panic from us both. However, all of this was well-hidden behind our respect pokerfaces and it looked like mere thinking to the old man.

"Well, what do you think?" The man finally questioned in his gravelly voice and we both snapped to attention. "Will these do for you two?"

I cleared my throat, now knowing what I should say and do to get him out of the room for a while. "Well, you see…," My voice was copying that annoying tone that I heard from one of the snobby girls at my school. Lots of boys seemed to like her despite the annoying voice, so I assumed it would work on this old man better than Jester's deeper voice. "We're looking more for…sniper rifles and the such." I added in a hushed, conspiratorial voice. My lashes fluttered once more as I leaned against the desk, feeling vomit well in the back of my throat.

"As much as you have – take your time and I might give you…_something special_." I gave him a forced smile, my breathing clogged up in disgust. He gave another greasy smile and _ew, ew, ew, ew! This was disgusting! I can't believe I'm flirting quite indecently with someone waaayyy older than me just because stupid KID and stupid me didn't check this place properly and this is just! Ugh! Gross! _

With the shut of the door, he disappeared once again. This time, he'd probably take a while, since I'd said to 'take your time' and to get as much as he had. I gave an exaggerated fake gag to KID, who gave me a disconcerted half-smile. "Jester…," I paused on the way to the right side of the store to steal the _Pari Passu_ at his voice, "Please…don't _ever_ do that again. I think you scarred me for life." His face had gone unusually pale and his lips were pulled down into a disturbed frown.

I scoffed. "Scarred _you _for life? You weren't the one flirting with him!" I hissed out, grimacing in remembrance. My first flirting experience ever ruined because of a creepy old man. How wonderful. Bet nobody else could say that, at least, I mused with some ironic humor. "Now let's just grab the jewel and get the heck out of here. I'd rather not have another experience like that, thanks." I muttered, pushing him to the case and watching and pulling out a quick note paper from my pocket as he pulled a white silk glove from his pocket and pulled it on expertly.

I grabbed a pen from my sweater pocket and clicked it before hastily writing Jester's signature in her special handwriting and drawing the caricature quickly. That done, I left the note on the desk and turned to KID just as he was about to pick the lock on the case. "Ah, let me." I hurried over to his side, pulling out the 1st Pentacle of the Moon and raising it above the display case. Automatically, all the locks in its vicinity gave way with a small click. Truthfully, I'd just wanted to show off. Plus, we didn't know if these were rigged with some type of alarm system. The blueprints had been so vague for this place…

KID blinked in surprise, "How did–?" I felt accomplished to make the magician-thief so awestruck. It felt nice.

I held the charm up by my face, light glinting off the silver surface as I gave a Cheshire grin. "Witchcraft~!"

An unreadable look passed his face or a moment before he recovered gracefully and opened the lid of the display case carefully, being quiet, and his hand reached inside, plucking up the Brazilianite easily. The tear-drop cut of the mineral was somewhat roughly done and there were some chips in the material, but it was still very beautiful, the lime green facets shining dimly. The color of the gem stood stark against his white glove and he gave a triumphant smirk, a shadow of both KID and Kaito together.

Then, we suddenly weren't alone anymore.

"Yo, the boss told me ta' check up on ya'–" A young man with sleeve-tattoo's on one arm walked into the room carelessly, dyed orange hair spiked up and piercings covering his ears and lips. KID and I froze for a split second, along with the unfamiliar young man. And then noise erupted and chaos broke as he spotted the note on the table and the gem carefully held in KID's gloved hand. He bared his teeth in an angry scowl as his face twisted in disbelief. "_Thieves!_"

No duh, Sherlock, my mind taunted him despite the seriousness of the situation. Both KID and I dove for the front door now that our other escape route was currently blocked, gem now tucked safely in his inner jacket pocket, but at the same moment, before we could even reached the door, bullets were flying. The loud bang that echoed throughout the tiny store made my ears hurts and I flinched to a stop as the glass beside the door shattered loudly, spraying everywhere.

Panicked yells filtered into the building from the bullet-induced hole as another loud shot rang out and I scrambled to move out of the way, KID heading in the opposite direction. This had gotten out of hand quickly – one of us could _die_ here! I wasn't ready to die, I had things to do – people to get back to, people to forgive, and to yell at, and to hug, and to say goodbye to! _I didn't want to die_! Call me a coward all you'd like, but it was normal human emotion to hope for survival.

_**Go left. **_

Ah, there was that voice again – the voice that was me yet not; the instinctual voice. I skidded to the left, stumbling over large glass pieces and debris from where the floor had gotten damaged, narrowly dodging a bullet aimed in my direction. I crashed into the display cases set in my path, the non-covered jewelry sprawling all over the ground – rings and small diamonds and earrings clattering almost noiselessly. My gaze flickered momentarily to KID, who had jumped acrobatically onto a display case to avoid yet another shot and had just flipped off haphazardly. He met my gaze for a split second as he landed easily, glass crunching underfoot.

Another shot rang out, shot number four or five, I couldn't remember. _**Shot four –**_ _**pay attention or be killed**_, the voice hissed deep in the back of my mind and I snapped to attention, eyes wide and breath ragged. Right, that was more important_. Survival_. KID would be able to take care of himself, surely. My eyes glanced over to the gun in the orange-haired felons hands and I recognized it.

A Smith & Wesson Model 1006, a stainless steel body capable of nine rounds. Another shot – five – sent me scurrying to hide behind something – _anything_! However, there was nothing in sight and there was nowhere to escape in this type of situation because if we paused for one _split_ second, it'd be over. Despite looking like a stupid young ruffian, the Orange had quite a good aim and wasn't hesitating at all despite sirens starting to leak through the broken glass. Someone had called the cops. _Thank goodness_.

Shot after shot echoed out – six, seven, _eight_… – and on his last available shot, a small sound filtered through the chaos. A small grunt of pain. My head whipped over to look at KID, who was slightly curled into himself, clutching at his left. Red poured down his sleeve, dripping down to the floor at an alarming rate and creating a puddle of blood. The orange-haired idiot let out a small 'tch' as he realized he had to reload the gun to shoot more, but I barely registered it.

The world had come to a horrific halt. My eyes were shaky and things were getting blurry as rage entered the haze of my frightened mind, slowly consuming it. Red, red, and more red – a bloody visual as it stained down his leather jacket, soaking through the shirt underneath it, no doubt.

The next few moments were just a haze of blurry _red_ – my head was pounding and image flashed in my mind, unclear and not remembered at all. It felt like something horrible knocking forcibly at my mind and clawing at the small door holding it in – it _burned_.

"Jester!"

I blinked at KID's voice and the first thing I noticed was that Orange had somehow managed to knock himself unconscious, blood pooling around his head as he laid sprawled just beneath me. He was still breathing, though, so that was good; his gun laid useless by his head, the butt of the gun smeared with, most likely, his blood. My brows rose incredulously – how the hell–? "_Jester_!" I quickly looked over to KID, hurrying over once I realized he was still bleeding. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" I worried, hands hesitating to touch him in fear that I'd just end up hurting him more.

He stared for a moment before nodding, "I'm good! But we need to go now. Like, _right now_." He grabbed my wrist firmly with his good hand and arm, pulling me over Orange to get to the storage room, since the police were currently at the front door, waiting to see if they'd hear another shot, and we were in _no_ condition to go toe-to-toe with them. We burst through the storage room door and I was amazed at how many guns were in the room, ranging from Walther PPKs to army rifles to hunting rifles to sniper rifles to revolvers and many, many, more. _Disconcerting_. That was the only word to describe that chill that went through me.

The room was hot, or maybe I was just sweating because I was wearing so much layers and had just experienced a near-death experience. Cold sweat ran down my cheeks, dripping down my chin to the ground below as we hurried through the slightly maze-like place, but KID knew exactly where to go. Thank you, great KID-sama~!

KID made sure to not leave behind a blood trail and we burst out the backdoor, not once having met with the creepy old man again, thank goodness. The geezer had probably fled when he realized that someone would call the police. The cold air felt nice again my face and I continued to follow KID down the alley and into another that intersected with it. We paused at the mouth of the alley and KID leaned against the wall with a sigh and breathless laugh.

"T-That was a close one." He muttered with a weary grin and I gave him a helpless grin and shrug. "But, we got out of it, right?" I carefully extracted the gem from his inner pocket. "And with the gem, intact. Not bad, if I do say so myself." I hesitated before adding on with humor, "And what better way to learn to trust one another than to have a gun waving in your face, right?"

There was a long moment of silence as we caught our breath, the only sounds the far-off bustling of people and the calming coo of the wind. A chuckle bubbled in my throat and before I knew it, I was once again laughing. Laughing so hard it felt like my lungs would burst. I leaned against the same wall KID was, pounding my fist gently on the brick as I continued laughing from my high of near-death experience. It was funny when you thought about it – there really was _no better way_ to learn to trust each other and we had _specified_ that this would be our trust-building heist, assuming it would be _smooth-sailing_. It was–it was just funny, in an ironic way!

KID let out a small chuckle and I looked up, small tears hanging on my bottom lashes from laughing too hard, and he had this fondly exasperated grin on his face. "You always seem to laugh after a near-death experience, it seems." He sounded incredibly amused by this and the pain that had been on his face for the one horrible moment was gone, replaced with amusement. I gave a small, huffy, laugh that sounded a bit manic.

"Guess it's to get over the fear that just encased my body." I snickered before I straightened, "Anyways, is your arm okay?" I asked, gently lifting his arm to see the damage done. He allowed me to pull off the one sleeve of his leather jacket and roll up the sleeve of the shirt underneath. I blinked. It had already stopped bleeding, the small cut visible. _Small cut_. He hadn't been hurt that much – it had just bled a lot for a bit since it had sliced his skin decently. A little pressure and it was all right…

I sighed in relief, giving him a small glare for worrying me and he pulled down his shirt with an apologetic smile playing on his lips. I rolled my eyes and muttered a few choice words under my breath before tugging at his good arm. "Come on, we should get to The Den and patch that up." I told him, feeling my body temperature lower to normal as the worry washed away quickly.

He followed, trusting me completely. "The Den?" He questioned, raising an inquisitive brow.

"My 'lair' of sorts. My secret hide-out." I clarified, "Ya know, my thieving base."

"…You named it?"

"Why _wouldn't_ I?" My tone sounded like the thought alone was scandalous.

"…"

"From now on, I'm calling your secret place the Kaitou KID lair or 'The Lair', 'kay? Even though I haven't been there–" Lies. "–I think it'd still fit."

"…Whatever you say."

"Yay~!"

ooOOoo

"So, this is your place, huh?" Kaito mused, sitting on the floor of the main room of The Den, his shadowed eyes flitting to and fro in the room, lingering a second longer on the boxes labeled 'EXPLOSIVES' in uneasiness. I understood that well enough – after all, I still didn't know what was in the boxes, too afraid it would explode on me if I tried to open them. "Don't ask about those." I chuckled, pulling back from bandaging his arm. The small cut had only run about four inches on his forearm, thankfully, and wasn't deep at all. The idiot had worried me for absolutely nothing more than a scrape you could easily get on a _playground_.

He gave a grin, nodding briefly. "It's nice. A bit messy, but…," He trailed as I gave him a pout for the small criticism. So I wasn't the _cleanest _person in the world, sue me.

"I never expected it to be Ekoda, though. It's kind of a coincidence." He laughed and I gave him a 'confused' blink but didn't comment, deciding to let it slide without acting like a know-it-all like I usually did. I was feeling merciful.

"Yup – a friend of mine lives in these woods. She said I could use this place – it's enchanted to keep out people who don't know about it." I commented absently, twirling the acquired gem of the night in my gloved hand, admiring the way the light reflected off of it. I'd gotten rid of my useless layers, now only in my original Jester outfit which was, admittedly, a lot more comfortable. KID had also shed his biker-esque outfit to his Kaitou KID outfit, looking more comfortable as well.

His eyes narrowed and I watched in interest as the monocle over his right eyes didn't even budge. There was a calculative look in his eyes and he probably easily connected the dots since I'd mentioned witchcraft and he clearly knew that Akako lived in the Ekoda Forest. There were too many coincidences, it seemed. Oh well. I was trusting him with these tidbits of information – he should feel _honored_.

I shifted, only to wince as something hard moved in my belt. I quickly dug my hand into my left boot, grasping the small nuisance and pulling it out, my mouth dropping open when I saw what it was. Oops. A ring with a pretty silver band encrusted in millions of tiny diamonds, with a bigger black diamond as the center, was held between my forefinger and thumb. It must've fallen into my boot when I hit the display cases, I mused, feeling a bit guilty, yet more humored by the extra loot.

Before KID could notice – since he'd taken a drink from his water bottle I'd given him, tilting his head up – I quickly hid the gem in a small handkerchief and got up, walking into the safe room, eyes following me. I made a show of writing something on the whiteboard – 'FINISHED' – before carefully placing the hidden diamond ring on my mahogany desk for later evaluation. Then, I went back to his side and took a drink from my own water bottle.

"So, I'm curious Jester," KID began, "We're looking for a gem of immortality, but you went after a gem with a different dimension myth. Why is that? Are you looking for something with a different dimension?" He asked curiously. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, flashing my teeth in a feral grin.

"Well, you see, I'm actually from another dimension, stuck inside this dimension, looking for a way out. Everyone here is an anime character and I come from a world where there's no such thing as phantom thieves and mysterious men in black. Unless you're talking about the FBI – my mother was once interrogated by two of them due to something about a place she used to work at and they dressed like people from the movie Men in Black, literally. They even wore sunglasses, but that's a different story. Truth is, I only became a thief to free myself from this world and go back home and meet all my loved ones." I answered nonchalantly, pausing to take another drink of my water.

I held up the gem, "So if this _Pari Passu_ actually works, I can go home…probably."

He stared at me for a moment before laughing, shaking his head helplessly, surprising me. "Right, pathological liar I'm talking to." He murmured to himself, a smirk on his lips as he watched me blink at him in confusion. Did he seriously just _brush me off_? He was the first person I literally _told_ about the dimensional crap and he _doesn't believe me_? This had to be some sort of cosmic joke.

"Oi, I'm telling the–!"

My sentence was cut off as I gave a yelp, dropping the gem quickly as it gave me a low-level electrical shock, my hand tingling as it dropped on the floor – except, it never reached the floor while I could still see it. The lime green gem disappeared in a bright white and my eyes scrunched shut to save myself from the brightness and it burned the back of my eyelids, burning everything with its light. Kaito's figure disappeared quickly and, soon, I couldn't even see the room anymore. In my mind's eye, I could see a clock strike three AM.

Everything was dyed in blinding white, a tingling sensation deep in my bones and nudging at my brain, and then…

**Review Replies: **

**To: kittyfinatic515 – Thank you! 8D I thought it'd be fun to add in. XD **

**To: MiniMiao – Whoo~! Thank you~! (Eats Cyber Whipped Cream Cake) Yup, here's the heist! 8D Hope it wasn't disappointing. XD And yup, Conan-kun~! 8DDD Ahhh, crap. Yup, my bad. That was a pretty bad mistake, lol. XD I'll have to fix that. Sorry about that. XD That's what I was going to have her give him at first, but then I was like, "Nah, let's do something else." XD I'm glad you liked what I had her give him! 8D And Heiji appearance (sort-of) complete! Sorry that it wasn't in person, but there's only so much loops I can throw into this that would make him randomly come to Tokyo. XDDD But, he will be making an appearance soon, since a case with him is coming up. XD (Laughs) That sounds really, really, tempting, actually. XD But, I have to stick to my storyline. XD Hopefully, it's not too disappointing, lol. And sure! I'll try to incorporate some ShinRan, HeiKazu, and KaiAo fluffy stuff. XD It'll be difficult, but for you, I'll try! (Dramatic Pose) And awesome~! 8DDDDD I can't wait to see it! (Excited) And thank you! I'm all better now~! **

**To: Dumti – Christmas in Japan isn't really celebrated as it is here in America – it's not for Christians, really, since there are barely any, but it's more a time to spread happiness. They adopted some American ways and give some gifts and maybe some cards and children/teens do hold small parties with dancing and games, so it's not too horribly far off. And, despite it being slightly off, well, it's just a story, lol. (Shrugs Helplessly) But, I'm glad you still liked the chapter despite that! 8D Here's the next chapter~! 8DDD **

**To: Iriss-sama – Ahh, my sister read the chapter and she said she liked Greed, not Pride. My bad… (Sheepish Laughter) XDDD (The names all sound the same to me. XDD) Yeah, it's been going on pretty long, huh? (Fond Smile) But, it's alright! 8D Chapter sixteen is still pretty early to join in since this story currently has fifty two chapters and on-going. XDD (Laughs) Yeah, I really wanted someone to think that she likes him that way! XDDDD And, well, you might not be far off! XD She does like him in a way because, despite her teasing him and not admitting that she likes him, she still wants to impress him and make him speechless. XDDDD She's looking for his approval without her being conscious of it! XD And yeah – it'll come in handy~! 8D Thank you! I'm all better now~! ^^ And here's more~! Mass murder movies? (Shudders) That sounds creepy. And I've never watched that movie, but now I'm curious. XDDD Lol, I don't think I've even heard of it. XD I've just been to sucked into watch Shingeki no Kyojin lately, lol. XD I'm glad I saved you from nightmares! 8D Nightmares really suck. Thank you, Ri-chan~! (Returns Luck Hug) **

**To: DDmasters – (Laughs) This was probably my favorite review, just because it made me laugh and grin. XDDDD Thanks for the review – made my day! ^^ **

**To: HitsuSesshyFan – I'm glad you like it! 8DD And I'm glad you like Alice/Midori/Jester/Noriko (dang, she's gotta lotta names…)! She's very fun to write. XD Thank you~! 8DD Here's more~! (Munches on Cyber Cookies) Yummy~ **

**-Continuation of this particular event will be next chapter. XD And I'm finally better! Whoo! 8D Thank you for all the 'get well' wishes! 8D Next chapter will probably be mostly all in third-person…sorta. Maybe. XD Anyways, see you next time! 8DDD Oh, also, I have absolutely no idea what Kabukichō is actually like, so this is just a big fat imaginative Kabukichō. XD Revolver's Kabukichō. (Nods) **

**And since it's near Halloween, you should all expect…. (Grins) **


	53. The Pari Passu's Effects

**A/N: This turned out pretty long. XD Also, sorry for the horribly OOC Toichi, but this is how I see him! XDDD You'll get to see into the mind of our main character, Midori, if things went horribly wrong and some other stuffs. Hope you enjoy! XD And some Spider third-person, since I enjoy writing him so much. XD I see his personality twirling between (music) Sarcasm by Get Scared (just plain brutal and messed up), Infrared by Placebo (the suave, cool, villain that stalks you everywhere and will find you **_**no matter what**_**), and perhaps a more gentler song…? Maybe? (Grins) I don't know, you tell me what ya think! XD Enjoy~!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama. **

Chapter Fifty Three

Kaito carefully pried his eyes open, staring at the familiar white ceiling of his bedroom before stretching lazily and getting up. A grin immediately spread across his face. Today felt like it was going to be awesome already, an overwhelming feeling of happiness and joy warming his center. He blinked as he stood up, heading over to get fresh clothes for the day – this was heaven.

…No, wait, hadn't it always been this way?

It had always been heaven, no feelings of sadness or mourning – what was there to be sad about? Everything was perfect.

Yes, it had always been this way.

ooOOoo

Spider rolled his eyes, easily stepping down from the tall branch he'd been perched in to land on the faraway ground. The leaves barely rustled at his gentle landing and crunched soundlessly underfoot as he headed to the small shack of a building in front of him. He should've figured the idiot would get herself into trouble. Really, he supposed it was too hopeful to even think that she'd be able to handle herself out in a red-light district. Despite being created from her memories and thoughts, she wasn't as capable as he was. She'd always hold that human empathy and hesitance that created weakness.

A less than capable, worthless, human – that's what she was, he decided with a scowl, pushing open the door of the building and stepping inside. The darkness of the night didn't bother him the slightest, Columbian blue eyes sharpening and seeming to glow like a cat's. He took in the messy visage, but carefully precise, layout of the large main room he was in. This was the first time he'd stepped a foot into this building. It had been too risky and that horribly veracious kitten would have noticed the slightest move of any object, no matter the size or how important it was.

He supposed that was one redeeming quality of hers – _precision_.

His eyes immediately sought out the _Parri Pasu_, sparkling dimly in the minimal lighting coming inside from the broken windows. It wasn't a full moon, but the lighting didn't make a difference to him. He stepped forward, and there was the faintest reaction from the gem. A small glimmer. "This thing…," He whispered, eyes widening the slightest.

He gave a small sigh, running a hand through his golden locks. He supposed this was why she and the _nuisance_ had disappeared – it seems it had nothing to do with the red-light district, after all. With her magical inclination, though, he would have hoped that she would've noticed something and would've been able to avoid the trouble. He could care less about _that boy_, but it just wouldn't do to have the kitten trapped inside of that lump of rock.

"Troublesome," He growled, "Kids are troublesome."

Because, surely, if she had been a full-grown adult with all of her powers unlocked – been a little less _naïve_ – then this wouldn't have happened.

With another roll of his eyes, his mouth gave the smallest hint of sneer – he couldn't believe he was going to do this, but then again, he cared (_did he?_) ((_a sinister part of his mind hissed in defiance_)) (_a larger part of his mind reached out with the barest hints of humanity – disgusting_) –and he walked up to the abandoned gem upon the ground. His gaze lifted to the lamp in a room in the front of him as it flickered back to life dimly, brightening the space to be adaptable to human eyes.

He flinched at the sudden change of perception, eyes dilating for a moment, before he glanced back to the lime green mineral. "Brazilianite. It's a perfect trap, if you really think about it clearly, kitten." He mused with a derisive smirk, "How obliviously stupid you are."

However, he reached down and grasped the gem in his large hand, ignoring the hollow sting that immediately flowed up his limb to resonate throughout his body. It sunk into his bone and burrowed itself deep into his mind. He closed his eyes, taking a seat on the flooring of the building between some darts and crates.

His body remained the same, but his mind entered a hazy mist and he opened his eyes.

He was no longer inside of the rutty old shack Midori fondly referred to as The Den, but rather, a landscape of sloping, frozen, gardens. The chill nipped at his skin and he flinched at the surprisingly harsh coldness of the weather – an inner defense mechanism, he assumed. He was currently in the middle of, what appeared to be, the main garden, frosted flora maintaining color and vibrancy despite the weather. Tall pine trees branched outwards further into the garden, hiding the inner workings of the garden away from prying eyes, and an iced over lake was to his left, brightly colored fish still swimming peacefully throughout the water underneath.

Frosted greenery covered every inch of the landscape, save for the icy pathway leading deeper into the gardens, winding and disappearing in the bushes and flowers and trees. Spider blinked, taking in the scenery with a keen eye, goosebumps appearing over pale flesh. He raised a hand delicately, allowing a butterfly with intricate dark blue wings to flutter and land gently onto his crooked fingers. The touch of the insect warmed its landing spot, spreading outwards, as if in welcome.

"It appears that I will be able to continue in peace…," He murmured, lashes brushing his cheeks as peered closer to the companion on his hand, pulling away as it slowly went back into flight, disappearing as it went back to its other butterfly companions that were fluttering about. The floral, summery, colors clashed with the sheer whiteness of the scenery, popping out. However, they were far from the only brightly colored beings inside of the winter wonderland; foxes, hummingbirds, and different variations of big cats lingered, going about their usual business.

With one more sweeping glance, Spider began walking down the stone pathway, ice crunching underfoot. He continued down the winding path, heading deeper and deeper into what was beginning to look more like a forest than a garden, the ash grey sky harboring lazily drifting clouds. His trek through the forest was casual and uneventful – boring and _pointless_.

Just as he was beginning to question if he was even going in the correct direction – though, he knew that his intuition wouldn't fail him like that (he wasn't like a certain idiotic thirteen-year-old brunette) – the forest finally broke off into a small clearing, a large stone platform extending outwards into a circle before forking off to two separate doors.

One was covered in moss, looking untouched for decades and worn down, and the other looked brand new but had thick chains wrapped around it, enter forbidden. He smirked to himself, stepping to the right, where the chained door awaited him. Surely, if something was covered in chains, then it wasn't supposed to be opened. And, of course, that meant he _had_ to open it. An innate impulse to disobey any sense of right and wrong surged through his body and his eyes narrowed in constrained_ thrill_ at the small disobeying action – a hand-me-down from his creator, no doubt. The kitten always _did_ seem to enjoy her little excursions and run-ins with life and death adrenaline. _Foolish…_

At the exact moment his fingertips grazed the concrete material of the door, the chains tightened before they converted from bottom to top into anacondas, the three separate snakeheads appearing last, hissing and snapping powerful jaws at his offending limb. He frowned faintly, removing his hand from its vicinity before it snapped back at it, grabbing the closest one and holding it's jaw closed, clearly not amused. It struggled in his harsh grasp, jaw unable to move, long lean body flailing and twisting over his arm, constricting, scales of dark and light brown flexing over powerful muscle.

He remained unaffected, giving a click of his tongue at the unneeded extra effort, before physically tearing the snake off of the door easily. He wretched his arm out of its blood-restricting grip, tossing it to the side absently, and going back to do the same with the others – to disregard them as nothing more than a nuisance. He didn't make it too much farther, though, and flinched, pulling his hand away from the mouth of the now-cobra that had managed a direct strike. Drops of blood pooled at the two puncture marks, white-yellow venom visible atop of it upon pale, snow, skin.

Spider scowled, giving the door a dark glare despite taking a surrendering step back to the mental door. It wasn't worth it, he decided begrudgingly. The fallen snake from before slithered back up the wall and the cobras flickered back to anacondas before they once again tightened, resuming their original form as chains. His hand burned – _too hot, too warm, too numb_ – and the venom from the defense mechanism seeped deeper into his inhuman blood, making him a bit _lethargic_.

He'd almost forgotten how much he knew he'd most likely loath mental brigades.

They were annoying and could twist to the circumstances, based largely at the one bearing them. As for this one, it was his creator's mind and despite insulting her, he knew that she had a pretty thick mental barrier, only strengthened by the recent turn of events.

It'd be near impossible for him alone to get through this door.

_However…_

His cold gaze slid over to the door at the left, completely unguarded. He moved away from the chain-ridden door, leisurely making his way to it on the frosty pathway. Now, it was only a matter of fate, really. Which door the mind guarded differed from each person and sometimes both were guarded, but he had a good idea of what was on the other side of this door. It would either be her utopia or her own personal dystopian world. For the utopian world, it would most definitely be easier to just destroy the picture-perfect scene, but he could just as easily ward the dystopian one to side with him to destroy the other's world. The balance would reset and surely, she'd be able to get out of this psychic trap.

He reached the door and pushed it open effortlessly, watching in mild interest as the serene winter forest disappeared, fading out to an old library. The building was broken and crumbling, some trees and greenery growing inside of the building, books lined on shelves and scattering the floor. A metallic scent that made his hair raise in pleasure flooded him and his eyes caught sight of dried red, staining the once-nice carpet and pages long since torn out of their original books – _blood_.

The air was humid and hot – _too_ hot, as if a fire was raging nearby – and the air was dusty, filled with the scent of gunpowder and sweat. The library corridors seemed to be endless, spanning from one side out of his view to the other. It looked familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on where he'd seen it before. It was most likely unimportant then.

A faint sound entered his keen ears, causing him to turn to attention, broken wood scattering carelessly from where it'd been strewn from tables and long forgotten chairs. Unnoticed, his eyes widened at the sight before him.

"Oh, Spider." Midori mused, shifting on top of one of the few standing tables. Rubble piled around her vicinity and he could spot ash brushed on her clothes and person, dusting her hair and lashes, dirtying her face, and darkening patches of her clothes. She was leaning back on scraped palms, legs pulled up to bend with the flat bottoms of her combat boots rest on the tabletop. It was a complete disrespect for the property – even though it was already destroyed – but she seemed perfectly comfortable.

"Where have you been?" She questioned, tilting her head curiously. Her tone was bland and void of emotions, and her brown orbs that usually sparked with mischief and knowledge were dulled over with a sheen of hollowness. Despite that, her mouth was still curved into the half-smirk she liked to throw at people, looking horridly out of place on her current face. It looked like it was merely pasted on herself to save face – keep the frown from showing weakness.

He knew at that exact moment that this small, dark, crevice in her mind was where he had been manifested. He'd been created from her darker points of views and from the perspective she had yet to know of – would possibly _never _know of – and that would usually always be locked away deep in an inoperable box; sealed forever. Spider knew, though, that a handful of humans would unleash their rage and grief upon their world, the 'inoperable' box hacked open with a butcher's axe.

And he knew that once that box was opened, you could never – _never_ – close it again.

He weighed his answers carefully, knowing to step with caution. This could very well be a well-hidden land mine. "Nowhere in particular, kitten." He finally decided on, tone a smooth baritone with a hint of his usual mocking cadence. The expression on the dystopian-Midori's face didn't change.

She blinked slowly, lazily, and glanced upwards to a hole in the roof, hazy orange light filtering into the room. The dust particles in the air caught the glow, falling like drifting ember's across her face as if painting a canvas.

"Ah, I see…," She replied shortly.

For once, Spider didn't feel in control of the situation. He didn't know how Midori would react to this dystopian world and he surely didn't know what to say in the current situation. He just knew he had to get a reaction from her – a small reaction to his words and a spark of hope and he would be able to forge a way into the heart of her utopia to crush it and break her out of the psychic trap. Because, in a utopia-like world, why would someone have needs for something like hope when they already have obtained all they had hoped for? The only ones who would need hope are those who desperately seek it out – need it because their fragile lives don't submit to their wants. It only existed in the dystopian side of her mind.

Perhaps that's why the last evil in Pandora's Box was Hope – if you couldn't hope for something, you wouldn't know what you were missing.

But, on the contrary, that was quite the paradox within itself – but Spider could use it to his advantage, so he didn't bother dawdling on tiny, insignificant, thoughts such as that one. He blinked to attention as Midori shifted in her position, sliding off of the table and stretching. The hollow expression in her eyes didn't change, but the smirk on her lips hiked up a bit in…_friendliness_? The look was an odd one.

"You know, it's quite funny, Spider…," She droned, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around his startled frame, tucking her head onto his chest, making him lose sight of her face. He was just about to wrap his arms around her to keep up the image – hiding his own grimace of disgust – when something cold and sharp-edged brushed the back of his neck. He froze, arms up halfway, before he schooled his expression and looked down sharply at the one in front of him.

She was looking back up at him, a shark's grin playing on her lips and eyes finally out of their dull stare, schooled into a spiteful glare – it reminded him a bit of a look a mother gave to you if you killed her child. _Deadly_. "I find it funny that you're currently here, despite having left to go assassinate someone. You're not one to disobey orders, either. You also didn't call me to inform me that something had went wrong. So, the only thing I can conclude is that you aren't _my_ Spider." She finished in a hiss, frown replacing her previous grin, before there was a flash of canines as her lips uplifted once more.

"Who the hell are you, then?" She asked, "Did Vermouth send you?"

He hitched up an unimpressed brow. So, in this world, Midori and him were working together? The realization left him feeling strange. "Why would that woman send me here? She has no power over me or you. There's only so much either of us will take from others, I know. And I am truthfully Spider, _kitten_." She faltered the slightest and the knife pressed up against the back of his neck raised a bit – but only just a bit. Perhaps it was the pet name?

"Why would she send you here, huh? Do you have _no _idea what's been going on for the past year?" She mocked, but there was some genuine curiosity in the question.

"Not really. I haven't been here for the past year. Not that you have, either. We're in a psychic trap that makes you have images of everything that could go badly and causes you to believe it's been this way for a certain amount of time, fool." He insulted. The eased knife was pushed back onto his neck, the tip slicing through pale flesh, causing blood to rush to the surface and ooze down slowly. Spider felt no pain at the tiny touch – he'd had worst, like when Midori had bitten his shoulder straight through. The stupid child had pretty sharp teeth…

"I'm not the fool. You came here unarmed and completely unprotected. Either you're a petty criminal trying to get to me since you've seen the both of us on the streets…," She trailed off, "…or you're telling the truth." She conceded. She stepped back. "And considering everyone knows Spider and I are working with the Black Organization after they went public, a petty criminal probably wouldn't bother me. So, truth it is." The knife was removed from his neck and she sheathed it back in a small holster, sticking it into her boot where it would be concealed.

"You're working with that stupid organization?" And, apparently, the Spider from this dystopian world was, too – the thought was _disgusting_. As if he'd work with _complete morons_. Midori blinked, hearing his tone, and she gave a flash of white teeth in a grimace. "There was no choice. You may not be from around here, but it was the only way. The Black Organization had taken advantage of when our two dimensions caved into each other and gained enough power and influence due to the sudden chaos that they took over – a complete tyranny. Both silver bullets were killed when the dimensions collided, though. So did a lot of other people that could've helped…," Her brown eyes glittered with a dark emotion as her gaze trailed over to a different spot in the library.

His blue eyes followed, seeing more blood on the carpet as he went, before his two eyes finally rested on the scene of attention. A teenage girl wearing casual clothing was pierced straight through her abdomen by an uprooted tree, dried blood staining her shirt and the area around her wide mouth, eyes set in dead horror, forever unseeing. Her body was arched backwards in an uncomfortable position. It was easy to see that the death had been far from quick and had been indescribably painful by the look on her pale face. He recognized her from the kitten's memory – Koizumi Akako. Now that he thought about it, this place did look familiar to the Koizumi witch's library.

"Akako's house didn't exist in my world – it was just a forest that existed there in the place Ekoda Forest did. The dimensions colliding caused the two to mix – I'm just one of the lucky ones that didn't get hurt during the collision." She muttered, making him believe that she didn't think she was lucky at all – but instead the exact opposite. Perhaps, she wanted to be dead? If the world was heading straight for chaos, had already been through chaos, would she not want to be alive alone to face the consequences? Why hadn't she just ended her own existence, then?

However, Spider already knew the answer to that.

"I see," He murmured, turning his gaze back to his creator. She was still looking at the corpse, but her eyes had gone back to their previous dead state, as if she was looking but not seeing. He watched her, noting the difference from her actual appearance. Putting aside the ashes staining her cheeks black, there were dark circles under her eyes, making it look like she hadn't slept from weeks, and the air around her was distinct and dangerous, not playful like it usually was.

Even when the actual Midori was in danger, she never had the feeling of a starving wolf, someone who would do anything to survive and reach her goal. But this Midori was different and darker and unhesitating – from the look inside of her eyes, he could tell she had already killed people before. He decided he didn't like her current appearance. Not one bit.

"So, why are you working with them? You made it clear that you 'had no choice', but you never mentioned why." He hummed, breaking her out of whatever trance she'd been in while looking at the dead body of her friend and semi-accomplice. She looked over to him, pulling her jacket closer over her arms, cloth crinkling. He had the feeling she was merely answering his questions to humor him, rather than actually believing that he was Spider from the actual reality.

"When the dimensions collided, Vermouth came to me. She'd apparently thought about recruiting me beforehand, but had only gotten to it at that point in time. We planned the downfall of the organization – a deep undercover, inside, mission. I thought maybe she sent you to check on me, since lately she's been doing that quite a bit… I have the thought that she's perhaps playing both the organization _and_ me." Her intelligent eyes scanned him suspiciously, "No one can be sure with that woman."

"And you went along with her plan because…?" He questioned, almost gently.

Her mouth grinned, a mix between her usual Cheshire grin and something more twisted and ominous – mad. "Violence makes a statement. The truth is, my first plan was to just kill everyone involved in the organization, but Vermouth thought it'd be better to do it quietly. Though, it would have been thoroughly amusing to punch Gin's lights out before ripping out his esophagus." She giggled – a reminiscent scene to a nightmare he'd given to the actual Midori once before. Seeing it up close and knowing it wasn't his doing made a chill run up his spine uncomfortably, goosebumps appearing onto the skin of his arms.

Was this emotion fear – the mindless human emotion he didn't have time for – or simple uneasiness at the incontrollable situation?

He couldn't tell.

He decided to just focus on the task at hand. This had gone on far too long – it was time the idiotic mortal woke up. "The point is, kitten, that you aren't in the actual world. The actual world is still completely fine at the moment. This is merely the dark side of your mind, where the psychic trap directs every bad thought or possibility that's crossed your mind and everything you don't like. There's also another side of your mind in complete bliss, in a utopian world. If you just come with me, we can destroy the utopia and everything will go back to normal." He informed her.

She snorted derisively, "What would be the point of _that_?"

He rolled his eyes – stupid as ever, it seems. "The point is to set your mind as a whole into a neutral state. If one side of your mind is focusing on the bad and the other side of your mind is focusing on the good, then there's no middle part. Both have separate goals and get sucked into the bad or good of their half – leaving you defenseless and in a comatose state in the pocket dimension that's inside that gem you took. The _Pari Passu_ – ring any bells?" If it didn't, he was going to just kill this side of her mind – though, the thought itself made him feel repelled from her.

Stupid rules and confinements that came with being a forged being – he wished he could do whatever with her. That he didn't have these restrictions when it came to the foolish kitten; it made him feel ill.

Then again, if he didn't, he wouldn't feel obligated to her, and wouldn't be here at the moment and this current thought pattern wouldn't be a problem either. Dark brown widened and there was a glimmer there – a glimmer of _hope_. He flashed a smirk. He'd gotten to her, now he just needed to play his cards right – he moved forward a knight of his internal chessboard. "…Are you telling me that the _Pari Passu_ actually opened a pocket dimension that sent me into my own mind and this is why I'm currently living in hell?" She was still a bit dubious, with good reason.

"Yes. However, if you come with me, we can both enter the utopian side of your mind and reunite both sides of your mind and you'll be able to return to reality." Then, for the sake of getting a better reaction, Spider skillfully tacked on, "Koizumi Akako, I assume, is still waiting for your return back to the Koizumi mansion." Oh, the joys of having a creator with a sharp tongue.

There was a long silence as she contemplated and he could see by the flickering of the scenery around them that he'd gotten to her – soon enough, they would both be on their way to the utopian side and he'd finally be able to get her back to the reality. This was taking longer than he liked. Time may not move the same within the psyche, either, so it could very well be weeks or days later by now and search parties would have been sent out for both Midori – or Alice, since people would only notice her missing – and _that boy_.

It could very well end up very troublesome.

Finally, the scene faded completely away and Midori's dull gaze had turned determined and hopeful, a bit surprised at suddenly being in a wintery forest. "Alright, let's do this. What do we need to do to get my utopian side to join back up with me?" She questioned, stepping closer to his side with a slight smile that still didn't look quite the same as before – it was dimmer and less bright. Despite realizing that it wasn't reality, this side of her mind still remembered everything she'd been shown in the dystopia.

"Easy – we'll break her illusion of perfect happiness. Killing someone she cares about will be easy enough, right?" Spider already knew the answer by the shark's smile that spread. "Easy as eating pie! You can distract the other-me! I'll kill whoever's closest." She instructed, getting a doubtful look from the arachnid being.

"Will you be able to kill someone who looks like someone you care for?" Surely, she wouldn't be able to and he would have to do the killing. But she merely nodded her head before pushing him forward, "So, show me where to go." She'd gotten a lot pushier, wanting her hope to not be in vain – for this not to be an illusion. He smirked to himself, pulling her to the nearby chained doorway, snow crunching soundlessly underfoot. _Humanity was really… _

"Here it is." He gestured to the door, but didn't move any closer to it, not wanting to get bitten once more. It had already affected his psyche a bit, slowing down his thinking process and his senses. Dystopian-Midori stepped closer curiously, tugging at the chains easily, not getting any retaliation. Her own mind couldn't attack her, after all. The chains crumbled as she gave a firm yank and she gave a smile, pushing the door open with a small creak. Immediately, the scenery changed once more.

It was sunny, yet sparkling snow was everywhere, coating the land in pure white. The city was bustling and the buildings were all intact, no out of place trees or other things and the landscape was covered in a complete presence of peace. However, with their presence, a darkness started to engulf where they were – the psychic trap was trying to make up time; a prison cell at night was starting to take form, trying to capture them.

Spider and the dystopian-Midori caught sight of the other, who was in a café. She was happily chatting away with another annoying human that Spider recognized as Ryukaze Erise, eating cake. No ash was smearing her face, her clothes were casual, and she looked completely at ease. Her eyes were sparkling with emotions of happiness and companionship as she talked to the equally calm Erise. "You distract her." The dystopian-Midori told him, voice stern, "I'll quickly kill Erise. That'll break the illusion, right?"

A bit dumbstruck, Spider nodded as her hand reached down to pull out her knife once more. It glinted in the lighting as she pulled it out of the sheath, eyes set into a concentration glare. They both set off, the scenery crawling after them at a sluggish pace. Too slow. The bell of the café rang as they entered and the dystopian headed to Erise as Spider placed a hand on the other Midori's shoulder, pulling her away from the table with a jolt. She stumbled back into him, her chair colliding with her floor noisily.

"Hey, what are you–_Erise_!" The happy look on the utopian-Midori's face had fallen, skin paling and eyes widening in horror as the other tugged up Erise and swiftly gave her a firm stab to the heart. Blood rushed out, splattering onto the furniture and staining the flooring and Spider watched in fascination as the other continued, stabbing the girl over and over and _over and over_…

What do you know, he thought with some amusement, she had it in her, after all…

Finally, the other dropped the lifeless body with a thud, blood pooling around the body. Breathing harsh, she turned, face stained with blood splatter and hands dropping the knife with bloody fingertips. "Don't worry, it's fine. This is your counterpart. You just need to wake up." Spider hummed, giving the utopian-Midori a halfhearted pat on the back before stepping away and letting the other continue the job. She was beginning to tell her something, but his attention remained on the body.

It seems he had underestimated what could drive a person mad. Humanity was really such an interesting thing. He thought back to the harshness of her blows and to her unnecessary added strikes, for effect, he presumed. And humanity was also somewhat frightening.

Those black boxes existed for a reason, after all.

ooOOoo

Everything had been so _perfect_ – how could it go so _wrong_ so _fast_? It just didn't make sense, _everything_ didn't make sense. My eyes flickered to the unfamiliar person beside my, supposed, 'counterpart'. "You don't get it!" She was yelling and hands rested on my shoulders, beginning to shake at an uncaring pace as the darkness and coldness from my counterpart's side began creeping into mine of normalcy and happiness. Confused brown eyes met equal copies that were burning with fiery determination.

"You–" Another shake that sent my head spiraling and something itched in the back of my mind. _Something_… "–need–" This was wrong – what had happened? Erise was _dead_ – why would she–? "–to–" I was forgetting something. The thought broke my mind back to reality and memories flooded into my head. The heist, the gem, _everything_–

It burned into my brain and both my counterpart and I flickered and with a jolt, we were no long _two_, but _one_. I was whole again, all emotions back in place, no longer void of sadness or of happiness – I now had the ability to feel everything I was supposed to; no longer entrapped.

My mouth finished the sentence as my eyes widened in realization, "–_wake up_…"

At the shift in power, all the scenery disappeared into a black void-ness – Erise's lifeless body, the café, the clear blue sky, as well as the cold stone walls, the prison bars, and the dark sky of night; they all faded. In the black void, I stood straight, eyes going back to the now-familiar man. How could I forget him in the first place? I was a bit confused as to why he helped, but he had definitely just saved me from being trapped here forever.

Slowly, and with the sound of shattering glass, cracks appeared from my feet, extending outwards and engulfing the whole place as if it was a spider's web. I quirked a grin at the irony and as the cracks extended to the black sky, the world finally shattered.

ooOOoo

I woke with a jolt, eyes flying open to see white. I immediately went into a sitting position, regretting it a bit when my head pounded painfully, a sign of an incoming headache due to my head rush. My eyes scanned the room blurrily, taking in a white ceiling and four white walls surrounding me with no doors, before they landed on a person kneeling beside me. I blinked at the blurry figure before it cleared out, revealing Spider. His golden locks fell gently around his face and his Columbian blue eyes were staring at me.

"What is it, goldilocks?" I grumbled, a bit irritated with him. Sure, he'd just helped me, but the last time I saw him, he was making a bet on who could find the gem to go back to my world first – he was still an _enemy_. Absently, I noticed that while he was indeed in front of me, he looked a bit…see-through? As if reading my mind, he smirked. "My physical body isn't in this dimension. I'm only here mentally, kitten." _Ugh, that nickname…_

"So…, we're in a pocket dimension?" I questioned, wincing as I stood, feeling a bit unsteady. He stood, too, still wearing that stupid smirk on his stupid face. I could recall him calling it that, but most of what had happened inside my mind was hazy – I could barely remember anything…

"Yes. Now, if you don't mind, can we leave? I'd prefer to be in reality once more." Spider droned in a bored tone – though, now that I look at it, he does look a bit tired. I wonder why – did he get hurt or something? I blinked at the thought, shaking it away – no, I'm gonna pretend I did not just think that; I'm _not_ worried about that jerk. _No way_. The thought was appalling.

"Yeah, su–ah, wait. Where's Kai–err, KID?" I stuttered, looking around swiftly, and my eyes finally located him, deep asleep on the ground in what looked like a rather uncomfortable position. I quickly hurried over, kneeling beside him. I placed a hand gently onto his forehead, brushing away his bangs carefully – who knows, maybe he'd wake up by me touching him? He didn't. His expression remained completely neutral, eyes closed and oblivious to his surroundings.

With a sigh, I shifted his body, giving him a bit more of a comfortable position before looking to Spider with a determined face. "Spider, how do I wake him up? How did you wake me up?" I questioned and he hitched up a delicate brow in disbelief.

"No way am I helping you help _that boy_." He hissed, scowling lightly. He crossed his arms and I noticed that for the barest of moments, his pale skin flickered to a tanned color and the Spider mark I'd seen on him in the anime appeared around his left eye before they vanished again – he was losing control, it seemed, on how he made himself appear to me. He must've really gotten hurt, then…

"You don't need to help me. I'll wake him up myself – just tell me how you did it!" I snapped, scowling at him as well. We glared at each other for a long moment, each willing the other to break the silence first. My lip twitched in irritation as time leaked into a minute_. I didn't have time for this!_ "Tell me, or so help me, I'll _shave your head_!" I finally barked, giving him what was _supposed_ to be a threatening look, though he appeared to be more amused than frightened at the display. Yeah, I needed to work on that…

His muscles relaxed a bit, "I'll tell you, but you need to promise that if you can't wake up the moron, that you'll just abandon him here." He stated sternly, giving me a look that reminded me oddly of a mother hen. _Weird_…and why the heck did he care, anyways? Something was up here. "Fine, okay." I huffed. Not that it would happen – I would _definitely_ wake Kaito up. It couldn't be too hard. After all, someone as stupid as Spider had done it, so why wouldn't I be able to, right?

He smirked lightly. "Good, kitten." The condescending tone had my hair rising and a retort burning the back of my throat, but I held it back. Just _barely_. For Kaito, I reminded myself, hand twitching to smack the smile off his face. Oh, that would be nice. _Very_ nice. This creeper _deserved _a good smack.

"All you need to do is make them realize that they're in a fictional reality. The easiest way is to go wake up the utopian one. If you destroy their perfect paradise, then they'll easily wake up, since the other side will immediately merge with them again, due to them not wanting the life they have. However, if you can't do that one, you'll have to make the one in the…_unfavorable_ paradise hope and help you in destroying the other ones paradise. They'll then merge together and he'll wake up." He instructed me shortly, not dwelling on details.

"That's it?" I asked, dubious. It sounded easy enough, but who knows? Spider could very well be playing me. Some strange part of me believed him completely, though, and that left me feeling _weird_.

He nodded. "That's it. The only extra part is that you'll most likely be put into the inner core of his mind and you'll have to find the doors and notice the difference between the two. Unless you automatically end up in one of the doors already." He hummed absently, flicking a piece of his blond bangs out of his eyes delicately. "Anyways, you should hurry up. This thing will lock up again once it hits four o'clock, I presume."

His eyes flickered in concentration, "Damn, if only those witches had had it open during ushimitsudoki, then I would have had a level time-limit…," He muttered under his breath, to himself, but I heard him anyway. He wasn't being very subtle about it. This just getting stranger and stranger…

"Anyways, brat, make it quick." I stumbled backwards in a flinch as his hand immediately reached for my forehead and with a small tap to my forehead by his pointer finger, I fell unconscious once more.

ooOOoo

I woke up in a slightly bad mood, annoyed at Spider for freakin' knocking me out like it was all good fun. It was not! What if I did something wrong and got stuck here? Actually, now that I think about it…

My gaze snapped open from its half-lidded state and I vaulted forward into a sitting position on the unfamiliar bed. Light blue sheets like the ones my bed were usually covered in folded over into my lap at the movement and I quickly scanned the room. My eyes fell on a short figure sound asleep on a chair in the room, a book propped in her lap. Messy brown locks were splayed across her face as the child's head leaned to an awkward angle in her sleep.

Suddenly, I felt like running in the other direction – was this another one of Spider's jokes? Because, _surely_, there shouldn't be Alice sitting a few feet away on a wooden chair when I'm sitting on the bed right now! My breath choked in my throat and my heart jumped in panic as the door to my left creaked open. My head whipped around a bit too fast, but I ignored the whiplash in favor of regarding the intruder with a look of completely unhidden panic – great, where had my pokerface gone?

At the sight at the man in the door, I quickly decided I'd rather take the brat version of myself than face _this man_. This man who _couldn't_ exist _right_ here, _right_ now, because…well, he was _dead_. Supposedly, anyways. I was always suspicious, but for him to suddenly come and _confront_ me…it was enough to set me into a frantic state. Was I becoming _delirious_ or something? Maybe Spider – _that bastard_ – had drugged something of mine and all of this crazy mystical gem stuff was a delusion.

Hell, maybe this _whole thing_ was a delusion – maybe I really wasn't here in the Detective Conan universe, but rather unconscious in a hospital bed somewhere in Kansas. In a coma due to some unforeseen and currently forgotten accident. Had I maybe gotten hit by a car? Or, maybe I'd been mugged and that's why I imagined myself in this place of all places? Millions of thoughts – uselessly – ran throughout my mind as I scrambled out of the sheets, getting irritated as they tangled with my legs during my hurried rush.

I gave a low growl and stiffened as if I'd just been looked at by Medusa when a calming hand was placed on my shoulder. "It would be best if you rest for a bit." The voice was calm, yet stern, and the right amount of warmth and fatherly tone balanced out between it. It was a smooth voice that seemed to carry away all my problems. Suddenly, abruptly, I knew I would miss him when he was yet again gone – and I hadn't even known him for more than a second.

It…kind of hurt, deep in a part of my chest. Like something was twisting and yearning to swallow something whole – _it hurt, it hurt, and all I wanted was to turn and give Toichi the biggest hug ever and never let go, because if I did he would disappear again and I'd be left alone, all alone, in that house, without anyone, without someone who could understand, without someone who was supposed to protect and care for me and_–

"Midori." My desperate eyes stung with unshed tears as I grasped the fabric of my shirt above my chest. He was right there, still hovering over me in concern, granite blue eyes directed on mine. _He looked like same as he had when he died, and it was so good to see him again, I didn't want him to leave, don't leav_– "Midori, you're getting sucked in by Kaito's emotions. Remember. Remember who _you _are." Confusion over took a small part of my mind, which was still being doused in the overwhelming _suffocating_ emotions. My hands latched onto the fabric of his sleeves, a smooth texture like it was hand sewn.

They were overflowing all at once – despair, loss, love, hope, anger, happiness – and _drowning_ me–_I couldn't fuckin' breathe_. It was too much – my mind and soul hadn't ever felt _so much emotions_ at once, all flowing in and out, like a constant river that wouldn't – _couldn't_ – be stopped. The hand on my shoulder squeezed and I blinked slowly at him, as some sort of reply. I couldn't talk, something was lodged in my throat, and I felt like if it was removed, I wouldn't be able to _stop sobbing_–

Was this how Kaito felt whenever he thought of Toichi?

This was hell.

…No, wait, hadn't it always been like this? It had always been hell – what was I talking about? Hadn't I always been here, in this room, like this?

Then, like a rubber band being pulled back and then quickly released, my mind came rushing back painfully, crashing away all those _not-mine_ emotions and causing a short relapse in strength, causing me to fall back onto the bed – which, now that I think about it, wasn't this my room in the Kuroba household? Everything was the same, to the sheet color, to the color of the walls, to the messy papers I'd left on the desk there this morning. The soft pillow under head cushioned my fall and I felt like going back to sleep, thoroughly exhausted.

What type of crap had I been thinking before? I hadn't always been here and the world most certainly wasn't hell. I shivered at the thought – I'd almost lost myself into the depths of Kaito's mind. If I hadn't recovered, I would have been stuck here. _Forever_.

…Wait. My eyes turned back to Toichi and while I did indeed some sort of pull to him – a certain fondness – I didn't feel the need to cling and bawl. "How'd you know my name…?" I asked in a cautious, curious, tone. Even if Kaito's mind recognized me, he himself didn't know me as any type of 'Midori'. He only knew this form as Jester/Noriko, his accomplice. So how did…? Unless…

Toichi gave me a gentle smile and I noted that Kaito had inherited most of his father's features, including his charming smile. It was slightly lopsided, a bit on the small side, but was warm and mischievous to make it a genuine one. It certainly didn't look anything like those half-hearted ones I had a habit of pulling out because of force of habit.

The man pulled the blue sheet covers over my body for comfort and I sunk down into the softness of my mattress, still waiting for his answer patiently. Finally, he spoke, in that endearing voice again. "Do you believe in things beyond human comprehension?" He questioned curiously, but he seemed to already know the answer, but was merely asking out of courtesy. Figures that Kaito's father would be a freakin' gentleman himself, I mused with a hint of a smile creeping onto my tired lips. My body felt too heavy to do much more. Why was I so _tired_?

"Of course I do. It's a pretty dumb question to ask in our current situation, doesn't it?" I quipped back in a light tone, somehow comforted by the fact that this was, indeed, the real Toichi. The fact that he was dead and wasn't technically supposed to be here, due to obvious reasons (he's freakin' dead), didn't bother me. In fact, it oddly made me feel at ease. I had a feeling he'd help me get his son out of this mental trap, since I was currently not feeling up to it. Again, why was I so tired? Probably had something to do with that mental snapback, but I decided to just think about it later to save myself from the impending headache that was probably going to come if I didn't stop thinking of it.

"Of course." He chuckled warmly, face softening. He gave my head a quick pat before he turned, "Well, I best be going now. It was nice to meet you, Midori. Please take care of my reckless son." He sounded fondly exasperated, like anything father would have if their son had literally sworn revenge against a large criminal organization just because of his death. It was endearing – and so darn _reckless_ at the same time. I blinked as he turned.

"Wait – what are you going to do?" I blurted before I could stop myself, thinking back to those emotions that had flowed through me. If those were Kaito's feeling about Toichi then…wouldn't it be better for him to stay here in his own utopia, where his father was alive and well? Where, I apparently, lived with them in Alice's form, since she was still sleeping in the chair in the corner. "Don't you…," Oh, I just knew I was going to regret asking this – I should just shut up. But, did I? _Of course not_.

"Don't you…want to spend more time with him?"

There was a long moment of silence as we stared at each other, a granite blue pair in surprise as my chocolate eyes stared at him shakily in honest confusion. If I hadn't had the time to get to know my son – watch him grow up – wouldn't I take this chance to? Wouldn't I do that? So why was he…?

There was a dawning look of understanding in his eyes as he stepped to the bed once more, resting a large, fatherly, hand onto my forehead gently. My eyes fluttered shut at the sensation – a sensation I hadn't really experienced – and I felt my confusion calm. I peeked my eyes open at him to see him once again giving that smile of his. "Of course I do want to spend more time with him. However, he doesn't belong in this cage of false happiness. He deserves to be able to experience the world first hand and everything that comes with it – the pain, the sorrows, the joy, the happiness. And I'll always be watching him, even if it's afar."

My eyes widened at the words – it sounded so selfless. How could he think only of his son when he could easily take what he wanted the most – more time with him? It didn't make sense. Even if I had to deprive my son the chance at a real life, in this false paradise he would be completely happy, and I, myself, would also be able to spend more time with him. Wasn't it a win-win situation? Or did he see something I didn't see?

He ran a few fingers through my hair, making my eyes droop in drowsiness. I suddenly felt a lot more tired than I had before. Maybe it was the comfort he was giving or maybe my mind had finally dealt with enough for the night. "You'll understand when you meet someone you love the most in the world. And, when you do, you'll be able to understand why I'm choosing this path." He murmured gently as I slowly dozed off. I didn't even hear his last words before I was out.

"That's the beauty of growing up outside in the real world – that beautiful, wide, world. Endless, endless, possibilities! But more so, you grow into an adult who will be able to cope with whatever comes your way because of everything you've went through. No false reality can ever hope to even give you a false illusion of this vital growing process. For it heals, and it destroys…"

ooOOoo

"…But maybe that's why it's so beautiful." Toichi finished his sentence softly, pulling his hand back from the sleeping teen's bangs. Her eyes were closed in a dreamless sleep, chest rising and falling in a deep, rhythmic, pattern. He gave an amused chuckle as she scrunched her nose in slight irritation before rolling over to face the other way for a more comfortable position. She reminded him a lot of Kaito – maybe that's why he trusted her with taking care of his son. And why he trusted her enough to give her those encouraging words.

She was still young and didn't understand much, but she'd learn along the way, learn with friends and family and co-workers. It was all a slow-progressing cycle and you never really did truly understand life, even after you were dead and long passed. However, Toichi liked that fact. If you learned all the mysteries in the world, it would simply be no fun! The world couldn't be a boring place as a whole, after all. There were still many, many, mysteries out there, waiting to be discovered. And, more likely, they would never be discovered.

But, you never knew if you would find them, until you _tried_ to find them.

It was something Toichi himself had learnt at a somewhat young age. Funny, he couldn't exactly remember when, but it was implanted in his mind like second-nature, so it must have been important. He shook with head with another amused smile. _Toichi,_ he berated himself internally, _you really are going senile_.

He gave the sleeping Midori one last look, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. The emotional pull that she'd been locked into at the beginning was a common thing that happened if another mortal went into another mortals mind – all the emotions of their short or long lifespan flooding into their head automatically in one moment; a truly terrifying defensive mechanism. They simply weren't meant to be tampering in other's heads without permission of some sorts, but she'd managed to break out of it, whether due to his help, or…

His granite eyes scanned her a bit longer and he blinked in sudden recognition. Ah, so that's why. No wonder, he mused to himself, feeling a smirk curl at the edge of his lips. Now that he felt infinitely more assured about the girl, he turned to head out of the cozy, guest bedroom to get ready for his next magician show.

But this time, he was quite well aware that it would, again, be his last.

Well, it had been fun while it had lasted! Maybe later he'd go bother those Tengu again… that was certainly always fun!

ooOOoo

Spider rolled his eyes at the two unconscious teens before him. They'd both woken up in a hasty snap, only to promptly fall unconscious. Ridiculously weak humans, he spat internally, turning to grab Midori by one arm and draping her carelessly over his back. He shuddered in disgust as he felt breath gust up against the nape of his neck before he turned to his creator once more – her head was angled in an awkward position on his shoulder and her mouth was gaping open to reveal her white teeth. Considering the last encounter with those pearly whites, he wanted them anywhere other than near his neck.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. At least, unlike the _boy_, she'd been able to withstand not only waking up once, but going into someone else's mind. Perhaps she wasn't…_that_ weak, he admitted begrudgingly. He had half a mind to just leave her in her awkward position, but another half of him told him to just take Midori to that witch's house and then leave the whole ordeal back in the dust. With a slight scowl, he removed her from his back, shifting her in his arms until she was in a comfortable bridal hold. She was light to him, his muscles monstrously enhanced due to being a perspective being. After all, Midori had never really thought about how Spider was, so it had compensated for itself.

Her peaceful face as she shifted the slightest irritated him a bit and he bit back a huff, turning away from the unconscious KID boy to go to the mansion in Ekoda Forest, the _Pari Passu_ in his pocket (because he knew he couldn't leave it behind despite it just being a troublesome rock), but a voice echoing through his head had him pausing mid-step. A sentence that hadn't been said, but surely _would've_ if the annoying mortal in his arms was awake.

"_Don't you dare leave KID behind or I'll freakin' shave your head, goldilocks!" _

He glared into clear air for a long moment, debating the pros and cons. Finally, with a dark look on his face, he turned on his heel, carelessly grabbed the boy like a sack of potatoes under one arm, the other easily supporting Midori like an overgrown baby now, and then quickly stalked off in the general direction of the forest.

It was official.

He really did hate humans.

**Review Replies: **

**To: MagicMilkbone – lol, it's okay. XD I get lazy to sign into certain things, too. XD Ah, Midori is pretty tall for her age. (Nods) It's one of the most noticeable appearance traits she had, other than the fact that everyone thinks she's a boy, if they can't see her face. XDDD And Ran's 5'3?! Aw, shoot. XD Earlier in the story – the Holmes Freak case, I believe – I said that Midori looked up to Ran, because she was only slightly taller than her. Oops… My bad. …Well, I don't think anyone noticed… (Careless Shrug, Innocent Whistling) XD And here's the update! XD **

**To: Guest – Thank you so much! 8D **

**To: MiniMiao – Whoo~! Yup, the heist~! Sorry for the long wait for that one. XDDD And Heiji~! You request, so I give! He's too awesome to deny. XDD (Laughs) Cliffies are my life~~(Laughs) And yeah, I thought that'd be hilariously ironic, since it's technically her fault, since she said she was a big liar in the other chapter. XD (Laughs) I'm glad you laughed at those parts! 8D I'm glad my humor wasn't a complete fail, lol. XDD And okay, I won't get sick again~! (Salutes) (it's not a complete promise, but I'm sure I won't get sick again for a long while, since the last time I got sick before this recent time was, like, two years ago, lol) ((Yay for epic immune system! 8D)) As for Conan, I'm sorry I couldn't fit him into this chapter. I was looking for a place to put him, but there was just nowhere. Guh. However… (Grins) The next chapter will be fun, so I'll be able to add him in (with some Koizumi's, lol – he's gonna be mind-boggled since I'm planning with the strangest lot, too. XD) Hope my third-person was alright. XDD I can't wait for Heiji's case, too! 8D (Eats Cyber Cookie) Thank you~! (don't worry, this story is gonna be long as heck – my sister is already dreading how long it's going to drag out, since I'm hopeless when it comes to moderating myself) Woo~! Anime recommendations! 8DDDD Blue Exorcist, Ouran High school Host Club are two I've watched completely and I've started Kamisama Kiss and Hyouka (with the intent to finish them) but I never got to it. XDD I'll definitely have to watch those fully. XDD And I'll definitely give those others a try, too! 8DDD Thanks for the recommendations! 8D I've been looking for new anime to watch after SNK ended, lol. XD Thank you! 8D **

**To: 4fireking (Chapter One Review) – Thank you! 8D Ah, that makes the two of us then! ^^ I'm also a sucker for mystery/crime anime and TV shows. I'm hooked on several, lol. And sure, I'll be sure to check one out soon! 8D **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – They got teleported into a pocket dimension, which then caused them to be unconscious and fall into their inner consciousness of inner demise and inner paradise! (Dramatic Hand Flails) …That sounded a lot cooler in my head. XD But, I had this idea for a while and I stuck with it. Hopefully it wasn't strange, lol. (Laughs) Yes, the best way is to say the truth, sound like you're lying, and then they'll never think it's the truth! 8DDD Reverse psychology, something which Midori is actually going to use a lot more in the future, lol. XD (she's already used it, but the next time she uses it, pfftt. Poor Conan.) Lol, why do you feel sorry for her? Because KID didn't believe her? XD (Grins as Snowflakes Fall and Eats Cyber Cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! **

**-Whoo, that was fun. I feel bad for making Toichi so horribly OOC, but that's how I see him...playful, yet a bit lonely, since, hey, he is dead. XD (Coughs) Anyways, next chapter, expect lots of hijinks and logically confused Conan, a tense conversation between Spider and Akako, and, of course, since we're nearing Halloween, some Koizumi's! (They reappeared a lot sooner than I thought, hmm…) **

**Note(s):**

**Ushimitsudoki (****丑三つ時****) – the hours of witches - the night time at 2AM around when ghosts or monstrous entities show up.**


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N: So sorry for the super lateness of this! (D-Did I say a week, kittyfinatic515-san…? *nervous laughter*) (Bows Deeply) Here, have some cyber cookies and a super long chapter! (Throws and scrambles away pathetically) On the bright side, there is quite a lot of information regarding future events in this chapter! Mwahaha~ and hidden jokes, look for them, 'kay? XD **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) Koizumi Ayala (and her cat, Ra) is owned by MagicMilkbone. **

Chapter Fifty Four

Carefully, Akako's hands moved across the ancient book, reading the information with great care. Old pages stained a faint yellow with time crinkled as she turned the page, blinking wearily. The candle next to her flickered, brightening the room in a warm glow. Consuming so much information was tiresome, but wholeheartedly worth the effort. _If only there was a something as convenient as the Yggdrasil in this world, then, maybe… Wait. Was there one in Midori's world…? I should look into that…_

Akako glanced up as someone walked into her study, expecting Midori with that euphoric – _idiotic looking_ – grin painted on her face after another successful heist, but instead what met her eyes were two unconscious phantom thieves being lugged into the room by a tall blond, tanned, man. Fiery eyes narrowed into a startled glare as she shot out of her chair, the wooden frame of it clattering against the floor of the room. Unlike most of the house, which was carpeted with a velvet-like carpet, this room had smooth wooden flooring which allowed her to do several other things she wouldn't be able to if there was carpet.

"How did you get in here?" There was a magical barrier around the house which only allowed people who she welcomed to gain access, so how had this man…? Her eyes darted to her friends, who looked relatively unharmed, before her eyes glided back up to the man's face again. Columbian blue eyes were watching her in some sense of bored amusement and a prominent spider tattoo was etched over his left eye.

After a second of analyzing him, she relaxed, shoulders slumping a bit from their tensed position. "Ah, so that's how." She mused aloud. She crossed her arms gracefully, dark red hair brushed down her elegant swan neck as she raised an unimpressed brow. "My barrier recognized you as an extended part of that idiot. I guess that's something I should be more careful about. Oh well, I'll fix it later." She dismissed, raising a palm.

Spider blinked in faint surprise as Jester and KID were yanked out of his grip by an invisible force and he watched in mild interest as Akako's hand moved with barely any effort, lifting the two almost-adult humans easily with her magic – it was the first time he'd seen magic used by someone other than himself and it was fascinating to watch them do it with such ease; even he, himself, had his own problems since his creator wasn't fully awakened. The only thing that would allow him to fully use all of his magic would be if his creator was able to, as well.

Akako's concentrated gaze followed the two thieves' movement as she placed KID gently down onto one of the large recliner chairs in her study before she vindictively let Jester crash into the wall of the room, letting her tumble awkwardly into the long couch that had been pushed against said wall. She took a step closer to the couch, looking over her nose at the younger girl who now had a somewhat pained expression that smoothed away in an instant. "Got a concussion tripping my ass, you rogue…," She gritted out silently, despite knowing the man with her could probably hear her every word.

Kin, who'd been lying down on the circular rug in the middle of the living room-like place in the room, swiftly jumped up onto Jester, curling into the side of her neck wordlessly with a brief glare at the abuse in Akako's direction. His golden eyes, however, didn't close – instead, they went to stare penetratingly at the intruder who'd gotten his scent all over his master. He immediately decided he didn't like him, the fur on the back of his neck raising slowly as his back gradually arched.

"Kin-kun, stop being overprotective. If you attack that man without permission, it'd be against your contract – it would be revoked." Akako frowned, flicking the animal on his forehead – earning a displeased hiss but no physical retaliation – before turning back to the other man in the room, who had gotten bored and decided to investigate the room instead, taking in the cobblestone walls, bookshelves, and intricate trinkets lying around. "And _you_ – get out of here. I have enough misfits to take care of without you." She disregarded him as one would to last week's trash and Spider felt a spike of irritation as she called out, "_Dorei!_"

At the barked out call, her butler appeared in the doorway, head bowed down slightly in respect. "Yes, Akako-sama?"

The witch waved a hand at Spider, "Get rid of him, will you? Don't kill him – just escort him out." The butler nodded in consent, expression dampening a bit when he realized he couldn't kill the newcomer, and was about to grab Spider's arm to haul him out of the mansion when the artificial being let out a chuckle. "You're kicking me out, just like that, little witch?"

The butler flew back out of the room, grunting as his back hit the hall's wall, and the door slammed shut, locking the two in the room. Akako's stance had once more gone to the defensive as Spider smirked at his handy work proudly. He may be exhausted from going into and getting Midori out of her own mind and taking the two out of the pocket dimension the gem had, but he still had enough energy left – and Akako knew that well.

He turned back to her, eyes narrowed in cold amusement. Akako felt indignation flair, but forced it down begrudgingly. If the two got into a fight now, the two unconscious mortals would inevitably get hurt. It'd be troublesome to clean up after them. "What do you want, then?" She was glaring him down, fiery red eyes practically glowing in the dim lighting as the air grew thick with magic, crackling almost like electricity.

He gave another deep chuckle, "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Don't _you_ need something from _me_, little witch?" And she really didn't like that nickname – what was with Midori and _nicknames_? Even her artificial creation had gotten that certain hand-me-down characteristic. How irritating…

"What are you implying?" Her tone was cold, yet there was a small bit of curiosity flaring in her. Could it be that this man also intended…? But, it didn't make sense, either.

Spider's smirk widened, flashing elongated canines for a brief moment, knowing he'd caught her attention. "How about we play a little game, miss?" His eyes sparkled mischievously and wickedly, revealing his true intentions – or was there something else hidden behind there? She paused to think, thinking about what he could be possibly implying, the circumstances, and, most of all, his creator's personality. If she was correct in thinking this was probably another hand-me-down with the roundabout way of setting things, then…

"A game of bet's, I take it?" She huffed, turning her nose up in an arrogant manner that made Spider's brow twitch in dislike. "Fine, I'll take your game and I'll _win_ it."

"Ah, witches do never know when to quit, do they?" He sneered, "Both you and I know perfectly well that I have a better chance at winning this than you do. Impossibly so, even." He quirked a telling brow. He was offering – _offering cooperation_. She'd been right – maybe this man was just as insane as his creator was, for his actions didn't match up with his feelings or his words; everything he did was random at best. But she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth – she knew (_begrudgingly_) that she needed the help if she was going to pull this off. It'd take too long otherwise and then it would be pointless, either way.

"A joint game it is, then." The corner of Akako's lips turned downwards, unhappy with the strange turn of events. "Who do you think will win?" She felt the innate need to ask. The game was fake – _fixed_. There were no winners or losers, no one to keep score, and there were no rules. But the answer would still be apparent. She almost felt sick at partnering up with this man, but there was another part of her that gave in – she trusted it; she trusted him to keep his end of the deal. Because he was being genuine about it.

"We'll arrange the details at a later time, little witch." He snapped his fingers and the door flew open, as he began to leave in a sauntering gait. He'd gotten what he'd wanted – now, he could really care less.

"And of course we'll win... I don't lose anything."

The double-edged words left her feeling uneasy as he disappeared around the doorframe, the butler trailing after him.

She didn't like this – _not one bit_.

ooOOoo

I groaned, consciousness slipping back into my mind slowly, overtaking the hazy blackness. My eyelids felt like lead, but I pried them open, feeling something soft and warm shift against my neck in a familiar gesture – Kin, I realized, something wet and rough moving up my cheek. I smiled slightly, seeing a white ceiling above me that looked…_unfamiliar_.

I jolted up in shock, eyes wide as my head whipped back and forth, Kin tumbling down from my collarbone to my lap, which was covered with a blanket that had been draped over me. I ignored an odd, dull, ache on the back of my shoulder – had I hit something? I disregarded that question, though. There were more pressing matters, like – _where was I?_ The room was unfamiliar, with only a single candle as light, flickering and coloring the room dimly with orange light. I reached up, running a hand through my hair as my other immediately sought out my fuzzy companion for comfort. The cobblestone walls made the room feel like an underground cellar and the floor was a dark mahogany wood with a patterned rug in the middle of several other chairs. I squinted in the dim lighting, wanting to make sure I wasn't being delusional.

…Nope, he was really there.

KID's white outfit glowed in the orange light, his figure slumped into a somewhat comfortable position on one of the nearby recliner chairs. My tensed shoulders relaxed a bit – at least I wasn't alone here; I had Kin and KID, even if the latter was unconscious – asleep? – at the moment. But, that still didn't answer my question of our location. The last thing I remember is…Toichi. What happened afterwards? My gaze travelled around the room once more, taking in the desk on the other end, cluttered with papers, jars, and a giant book that looked old even from afar. It really wasn't so safe to keep a candle burning on the same desk as multiple papers, but I _guess_ it was fine if the owner of this place thought it was…

Books were almost everywhere, shelves covering most of the wall with more jars and other seemingly miscellaneous items – what caught my attention, though, was the window. It was large and arching, almost like a church window, but there was _nothing_ beautiful about it – a sinister-looking emblem of some type of demon with bat wings sat atop the arch, carved precisely out of stone, only lit by the candle since it was still dark out. A chill raced up my spine as I stared into its soulless eyes before I quickly averted my gaze to Kin. I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that…

Golden orbs stared back at me and my brows furrowed. Kin seemed completely at ease, so we must be somewhere safe, I mused. Pieces clicked into place at lightning speed – the emblem, the ancient books, the smell of incense that had eluded me due to being used to the smell of it by now – and I gave a grin, falling back onto the couch carelessly. Okay, we're at Akako's house. That answered _that _question. The other question was how the hell did we get here, but that was answered swiftly enough.

Spider – that arachnid freak had probably helped us back here for some reason. I mean, he _had_ helped me before – what was up with _that_? Did he suddenly decide to stop being an ass? I wholeheartedly doubted that, though. Being an ass was practically his whole identity. I snorted to myself, amused at my own thoughts before a door clicked open, gaining my attention.

"You're awake." Akako greeted blandly, holding a lantern in one hand while the other rested on her hip. I felt my lip twitch nervously. She didn't seem too pleased…and a displeased Akako was like a displeased _dragon_.

"A-Ah, yeah…," I mumbled, gripping the quilt over me and pulling it up higher to cover my mouth and nose, Kin easily shifting so that his head was popping out with mine. "Sorry for the trouble." I managed to say, tone meek. She stared at me with an unnerving glare for a long while before she came forward and before I could even do anything, flicked my forehead. A small amount of pain surged from the impact point and I winced, hand coming up to protect my abused head. "_O-Oi!_"

She continued to glare, "You got a concussion _tripping_, was it? It didn't happen to be the artificial being that you created accidentally?" She gave a vindictive smirk as I flinched as if flicked again. Ah…, so that's what this was about. I should've figured. I mean, if Spider _had_ brought us here, it wasn't that much of a long shot to believe that Akako now knew about him. "The reason why I'm here is to help you leave this world without disturbing the dimensional balance again – I think adding in another being in this world would classify as _important enough_ to tell me about." She hissed, almost in a whisper, trying not to raise her voice. The venom was clear, though.

"What did you think that I wouldn't be able to do anything about him? Mi–" She hesitated before switching, "–_Jester_, if I'm correct in my assessment of the 'situation', he was the reason why you passed out with a fever near All Hallows Eve. Didn't you find that _important enough_?"

I waited patiently, seeing if she had more to say, but nothing more came and I finally made a move to speak again. "I'm sorry…I didn't want to worry you. Plus, that freak is a killer. I didn't want you to get involved." I murmured, widening my eyes for forgiveness. Akako was really scary when she was mad – even more so than usual. It felt like her glare would melt your face off.

After a while of staring down each other, she finally relaxed, sighing deeply, as if her forgiving me pained herself to no end – which, it probably did. She rolled her eyes, "Fine, it's alright, so stop giving me those puppy-dog eyes." I grinned underneath the cover of the blanket in accomplishment. "But–" Damn it, there's always a 'but', isn't there? "–if this happens again, I expect you to tell me. The last thing we need is _another_ murderer running around with supernatural knowledge." She huffed, crossing her arms easily despite holding a lantern.

It clanked against her arm and I realized it wasn't an actual flame inside, but one of those electronic ones. It was good to know she was modernizing somewhat, at least. "Okay…," I replied begrudgingly, sitting up slowly. A weight in my pouch had me sighing in relief and unzipping it quickly, pulling out the acquired gem of tonight…last night? (what time was it?)

"What time is it?" I voice my question aloud, glancing down at the gem and admiring the way the candle light bounced off the facets, glimmering lime green. It was moments like these that I understood why rich snobs liked the gaudy objects – they were pretty, glimmering, and shiny; it was like how magpies were attracted to bright objects. A bonus to being a thief while looking for my way back home was definitely being able to look closely at the gems – it was fun to search for the flaws that were usually invisible to the far-off eye.

Akako lifted my legs from the other cushion of the couch, letting them fall unceremoniously to the ground so that I was in a sitting position, taking up the one seat while she daintily sat on the now-free one. One of her legs crossed over the other and I realized just now that she was still fully dressed for clothes – had she waited for me to get back? I felt a cheesy grin threatening to overtake my lips at the thought – _aww, how sweet_~! However, I didn't have a death wish, so this remained unvoiced.

"It's a little after five. The sun will start rising soon." She informed, smirking as my eyes darted up incredulously. "_Seriously_?" I choked out, "But, we snagged this thing at _three_ – how the heck did two hours pass _so fast_?" I only vaguely remembered what happened inside the jewel – a blurred person on the ground, a hazy feeling of content, Toichi's blurred face (mouth moving, but no sound) – but I had seriously doubted that we'd been inside of it for _two hours_. It didn't even feel anywhere _close_ to that long. _Magic was frightening_…

She gave a careless shrug, as if to say 'hell if I know'. I rolled my eyes at her unhelpful answer before brushing it off with my own logical guess – it probably had something to do with the stream of time and how time flowed differently in the pocket dimension the gem had, blah, blah, blah… Sounded logical enough for me, so I'm sticking with that; no need to stress my brain over it.

"By the way, why were you both unconscious?" She questioned with a raised brow, placing the lantern down on the small side table next to the couch. "Did that man knock you both out or something of that sort?" Her tone made it obvious that she knew that wasn't the truth – after all, it wasn't smart to knock someone out and then bring them back to a safe place. Well, unless you were a reverse psychology nut, but…

I tossed the gem up, catching her eye, and grasping it in my still-gloved hand before it tumbled to the ground. "It was this thing. Apparently, the legend about the _Pari Passu_ wasn't all bull crap. It was true enough to open up a pocket dimension, but it never mentioned that it was some type of psychic trap." I scoffed in distaste, resting it on my knee gently.

Fiery red eyes drifted to look at it intensely, "A psychic trap, hm?" She extended a hand, plucking it easily from my loose grasp. She brought it up to her face for a closer inspection and I waited in silence, a bit confused, before her eyes widened the slightest. "_This_ is the gem you stole?"

She sounded amused. She handed it back and I stared at her oddly blank face before she cracked a smile, growing a bit wider as time passed, and finally, she gave a short laugh. Her eyes closed in mirth, lashes brushing her cheeks as her cheeks flushed the slightest. In the dim lighting dashed across her face, a warm glow, I swore I saw her real beauty for moment – beauty not faked with charms. But, it was a gone a moment later, once again leaving that cold attractiveness in place.

"…What's so funny about that?" I questioned after a moment of unnerving staring on her part.

"Nothing, besides the fact that this gem was stolen from a sub-group within the Koizumi's and then was stolen back by a member of the same clan it was stolen from." She gave an unnerving cackle, "This is what you would call pure irony." She muttered something under her breath to herself – something I didn't quite catch. I ignored it, though. Probably wasn't important.

I flashed a cheeky grin, "Would you call that good luck on our side, then?"

"Not necessarily." My grin lessened unnoticeably in disappointment as she continued, "Because now you have to give it back to the sub-group, and those three idiots are always so troublesome…," Shifting the gem in my gloved grasp, I leaned forward a bit in interest. Three troublesome idiots? I don't recall anyone that was like that at the reunion…

At my beckoning face, she went on with another sigh, "The gem was originally forged Osamu-kun – him and his group used it on others to obtain information. However, most likely similar to your situation, one stray escaped and ran away with the gem – we had no leads on it for years." Her gaze drifted to the _Pari Passu_ again. "Until now."

I racked my mind for the half-familiar name, trying to put a face to it, only to end up blank. My gosh, there was just way too many people to remember in that family! Still, it was sad how I couldn't even recall one person, other than Akako's immediate family, Hayato, Ryo's group, and Ayala. I could possibly remember a few others, if needed, but that was all I could recall off the bat. "…so, isn't it good that we got it, still? Even if Osamu-kun and his group are supposedly 'troublesome'?" My fingers made the quotes clear enough as I raised a brow, pretending I knew exactly who we were talking about.

Her eye twitched, irritated with my somewhat-mocking gesture. _Oops…_ "I may have called them idiots, but they're far from it. Perhaps I should have described them in more literal terms – they all are bereft nonconformists. As a member of the Koizumi clan, you receive a specific job or 'reason' when you're first born – something you'll do when you become old enough to carry on the work of your predecessors, or to work along with them, which is more the likely case. The qualifications for these jobs are searched for in a child during the duration of their thirteenth years."

"Personality traits, magic ability, empathy, familial situation – they're all taken into account. Positions range from combative to non-combative types; from technical to informative. Osamu-kun's group is within the informative position – gathering information from other clans, breaking and entering, and other unnamable things. From the moment they were born, all three of them showed their excessive talents; earning the name prodigies, despite their mostly unsightly talents. They're not just troublesome – they're _dangerous_. They usually only interact among themselves. Therefore, getting the gem back to them will require one of us to go find and give it to them."

The overwhelming amount of information pouring from her mouth was unexpected – usually, she was quite vague about her family and what they did, but here she was, blabbing about seemingly important and dangerous members. _Unless…_ I internally snickered at the thought. Was it possible…?

"So, they're basically informants for the Koizumi's, I take it?" Her hands clenched a bit before relaxing and she uncrossed her legs before re-crossing them. She was fidgety. My teeth clamped down gently on my lower lip, willing myself to not make a sound.

"Essentially, yes. They do, however, do other types of jobs, as well." Akako affirmed, her lips turning downwards at the edges in distaste. With a burst of short laughter, I couldn't hold myself anymore – I _had _to ask the question. "Okay, okay, _haha_ – what'd they—_ha_–do to you, huh?" I choked out between laughs. Kin's body shook for a moment before stilling beneath my hands and I absently mused the thought of cats laughing once more.

Instantly, an indignant – and _embarrassed_ – red flush spread across the bridge of Akako's nose, eyes widening into shiny red orbs. "–what makes you believe those three have done anything to me, _Jester_?" Ah, she was using my alias as a somewhat insult now – emphasizing it with just a touch of a lofty undertone. I twitched. "You should be quiet, _Koizumi-san_," I quipped, eyes sliding over to the still-unconscious white thief slumped in the recliner chair across from me, "We wouldn't want our _guest _to be rudely awakened." Not to mention it'd be a crappy situation and I'd likely have to explain everything. No, thank you…

With her gaze on KID, she quieted a bit, relaxing a bit – though, the blush was still on her face. She cleared her throat self-consciously. "They did nothing to me, Jester. I merely dislike the presence of one of their members. Osamu-kun and Yuuto-kun are alright, if you disregard most of their personality. However, Takashi-kun…," She swallowed, trailing off midsentence. A chill ran down my spine. What had Akako so worked up?

"However, Takashi-kun is…?" I prompted after a minute of unnerving silence.

She released a shaky breath before opening her eyes, calm façade back in place. "Takashi-kun, however, is an undeniable _psychopath_. When I was younger, I had a pet dog–" Woah, hold up. _Akako_ had a _dog_? This is already off to an odd start. "–and it had died from old age, since it was my mother's, but then _that boy_ – just as young as me at the time – showed up one day. He found the grave and possessed the dead body of the dog and then _brought it back to me_ with a smile all the while on his face. At a young age, it was a somewhat traumatizing. It was the first time I had encountered his power of possession."

I opened my mouth to ask what the heck possession was, but was cut off as she went on, "–however, he has no effect on me, as of now. As a child, it was quite foolish to be afraid of such a lowly warlock. I'm the rightful successor of the Red Magic passed down from our ancestors, so _clearly_ in a battle of wits _or_ magic, _I_ would be the _victor_!" Her tone had went from soft to arrogant in a split second and she looked quite _pleased_ with herself, tossing a long strand of her red hair over her shoulder daintily and giving one of her unique laughs into the palm of her hand.

Well, I suppose that was kind of creepy, but you wouldn't think it would scare someone like Akako…I guess she was just human, after all. And imagining a dead corpse of a dog coming back to life with another kid…

I shook the thoughts away, feeling goosebumps appear on my arms. "So…your point is…?" I trailed. Not once throughout her whole semblance of a 'speech' on the little group of three that I still couldn't recall properly did she mention the point to her telling me how 'dangerous' they were. She quieted down with a smug lilt in her smirk. "My point, dear Jester, is that due to you conveniently finding this lost gem, that it will now be _your_ responsibility to give it back to Osamu-kun."

"But I don't know them or where they are personally. Wouldn't it be contradictory to try to return the gem to them by sending a complete novice?" I automatically replied, feeling a mechanic smile flit on my lips – there was _no way_ I was going to see them if they creeped out _Akako._ Well, one of them, at least. But still. _No_.

Automatically, her eyes narrowed into a fierce glare. "If you don't take responsibility, I'll tell Kuroba-kun. _Everything_." My heart froze for a moment before restarting at a faster pace – she _wouldn't._

"That's low." I hissed under my breath, eyes darting to KID and back to my current adversary. We'd been getting friendly this whole time that I'd nearly forgotten the key fact that she was _unpredictable_ – a user of magic, someone who had once tried to kill KID, someone who consulted with evil spirits like Lucifer; she was a _witch_ and it had been foolish of me to ever overlook that fact. I made a mental note to keep that in mind from now on.

She gave a delicate half-shrug, smirk widening a bit to flash white teeth in the dim lighting from the lantern – making her look all the more sinister as shadows danced across her yellow-hued face. She would, it seemed. _Figures_. With a certain amount of bitterness, I gave a dramatic sigh, falling back onto the cushions of the couch, offering her a Cheshire grin.

"It seems I've been out maneuvered this time, Akako-neesan." I hummed and my hands rose in the universal sign of surrender, "I concede my defeat, so don't tell KID-san anything. I'll take the gem back to that 'Osamu-kun'."

She nodded in approval of my defeat and the sinister look dropped of her face in an instant, "Good. And quit talking like Jester and…_yourself_ at the same time. It's unnerving to hear the combined personalities meshing into one." I gave a laugh, "But they're all me~! Nothing can change that!"

As she was about to reply, I stood up, scooping Kin into my arms and giving him a peck on the nose before placing him back down onto the couch. "Anyways, I should probably get KID back to The Den. Can you _imagine_ the pandemonium that would occur if he woke up here, of all places?" I snickered, heading towards the prone body of the other thief. She gave a small laugh behind me as I shifted KID awkwardly and carefully, trying not to wake him as I pulled his arms over my shoulders.

I froze for a second as he gave a soft groan before falling silent once more. After making sure he was still asleep, I hauled him the rest of the way, giving a small grunt of exertion as the brunt of his weight fell onto me as I pulled him into a piggyback ride. One hundred and twenty eight pounds of human mass was being held up by lanky, little old me – and maybe carrying him all the way would be a _bad idea…_

Still, I shuffled him a bit higher on my back and tried to stand somewhat straight, feeling dwarfed under his taller body and irritatingly hoping that the charm on his monocle wouldn't keep hitting my collarbone with every step I took. Akako handed me a piece of paper that she had just jotted down an address on with a smirk and I haphazardly placed it into my pouch. With a brief thought of 'I hope his top hat doesn't fall off', I gave Akako a slight nod of goodbye before heading out the door, huffing air to myself as I followed the winding halls to the door.

This was going to be a long trip…

ooOOoo

"Don't give me that look. After all, I'm a witch, you should've expected this."

There was a sigh and a shift and then Akako gave a short cackle.

"Like you're any better."

A different laugh echoed through the room.

ooOOoo

My back was killing me. That thought alone echoed through my mind as I continued to trudge through the forest, leaves and frost crunching underfoot, the sun rising off in the horizon, hiding behind the vast amount of barren trees. Spiraling light beams cut through the darkness, the sky turning grey from its nighttime black-navy, stars disappearing back into the atmosphere. I huffed for breath, body slanting forward under the extra weight. Never once in my life did I ever believe I'd be trudging with a thief on my back, as a thief myself, to my super-secret 'lair'.

An amused snort escaped my lips – it sounded like something out of a book. Maybe I'm dreaming, I mused absently, it all seemed too unreal. Shaking my head, I looked forward, blowing my bangs out of my eyes which were still hiding behind white mask of Jester's outfit. Just a bit further – the clearing The Den resided in was now in my eye-view, crows still hanging around as per usual. With a determined burst, my steps sped up to a somewhat normal pace, my lungs burning for air as I continued to lug Kaito around – I was obviously not built for heavy-lifting tasks like this one.

Finally reaching The Den just as the sun peeked over the edges of the tops of the trees, I kicked open the door that had been left a crack open – stupid Spider; what if a wild animal went inside? – and stalked inside, immediately dropping my 'package'. I winced apologetically as his head landed somewhat roughly on the floor, a small _bang_ echoing through the empty building. "Oops…," The whisper was unheard, since he was still unconscious and I rolled my shoulders, finally catching my breath now that I didn't have KID weighing down my back.

_Never _again, I huffed to myself. That would be the _last _time I would _ever_ give someone taller than me a piggyback ride.

With a yawn, I collapsed into a sitting position next to KID's sleeping form, eyes surveying the rest of the room. Everything was in the same place, unmoved, besides the water bottles both KID and I had been drinking from, knocked over with the excess water spilled across the floor. I'd have to clean that up later…

I jolted as a soft groan came from beside me and KID shifted before stilling completely, back into the perfect show of still being asleep. I gave a snicker, "I know you're awake, KID-san – there's no one else to fool." At the sound of my voice, he jolted and his eyes opened, the unnoticeable tension in his body relaxing almost instantaneously; it was nice to know he trusted me that much. A grin broke upon my lips as he sat up slowly, a disoriented look hidden in his eyes.

"Jester-san…," He greeted, violet-hued eyes tracing the room. "We're…still in The Den." His voice was filled with confusion and sleepiness.

I nodded, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. My mind raced behind my eyes as I offered him a calming smile – should I make a bluff? Or tell him the truth? If I bluff and say the gem let out a light and we both just fell unconscious, it'll be a lot less explaining, but then I'd be lying to my valuable ally. But, telling him the truth would offer other problems as well…

"Yeah – the gem let out some strange light and it seems we both passed out. Maybe it has a neurological effect of some kind that shuts off our functions and temporarily gives us narcolepsy?" I asked, feigning a confused expression as I removed the gem from my pouch, showing it to him. A bit of guilt creeped into my chest, but I brushed it off – I _had_ told him I was a pathological liar, after all; he shouldn't be surprised. And, he didn't believe me about the dimensional thing. A little pay back never hurt anyone, right?

"I woke up a little while ago, actually. The gem seems to have gone back to being dormant, though, so I guess it was a dead end search, huh?" I laughed, tossing said mineral in the air with a dramatic flair of casualness. It landed gently in my palm a second later and I offered the still-sleepy KID a smirk. "Anyway, I'll be keeping this one with me. Unlike you, I don't have a strict 'return policy' and you _did_ say I was the leader for this heist, didn't you? So, new rule!" I held up a declaring finger, white glove slightly orange from the sunrise spilling in from the windows. "The one who leads the heist decides what to do with the gem! Since I'm the leader this time, I think I'll keep this little beauty~!"

KID rolled his eyes fondly, "Adding it into your collection of 'babies'?"

My mouth stretched into a wide shark grin, "Yup~! I'll now be adding the Pari Passu into my collection~!" I announced, proudly holding up my newest 'trinket', admiring as the facets hued a bright lime green that shone with the light from the outside. Gems really are pretty little baubles, aren't they? "We can call it _Jester's Jewel Box_!" I named in English, snickering to myself at the alliteration. KID turned away to hide his amused grin.

The sunlight broke over the horizon of the window, spraying light directly on us and I winced, eyes dilating at the sudden change. KID looked over to the window, surprise on his face. "It's already this late…? Er,…early?" He questioned, glancing back to me as I finally stood up again, stretching my limbs.

"Yup, it's probably already six." I mused, walking over to the safe room to put the _Pari Passu_ on the desk beside the black diamond ring – I still had to decide what to do with that, too…

"Eh?! Seriously?! I promised A–!" KID jolted into a standing position, voice stuttering to a halt as I gave in a sly glance; he promised to go somewhere with Aoko, it seems. The fact that he made that mistake means he's, either, really out of it or trusts me enough to act like _Kaito,_ which has already happened. It felt good to be trusted~! "–I mean, I promised to go somewhere with a good friend of mine." He finished smoothly, recovering easily. I grinned, "You should get going, then. I'm sure you'd like to have time to shower and change. Maybe catch a few _z's_ if you have the time." I laughed.

"Z's?"

"Er, English expression. Don't mind it – I meant get some sleep."

He gave me a grin, patting the top of my fedora as he passed me to get to out the door. "I see. Well, I'll be going, then. Get some sleep, too, okay? You seem like the type to get irritable without her beauty sleep~!" With a parting laugh, finally getting the last blow between our usual verbal sparring, he gave a wave and headed out the door, swinging it closed behind him.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing, shaking my head as I headed to the safe room to change into regular clothing. I'd definitely get some sleep and then do the errand of returning the _Pari Passu_. Because, he was right.

I _did _get irritable without sleep.

ooOOoo

"Ueda, Nagano…, huh?" I mused to myself quietly, lumbering slowly through the flow of people at the train station. Despite being the first day of the New Year, people were coming in and out of the train station in steady currents, making it look as busy as it always was; business people and teens all mixing into the metal bodies before they shuttled off with a burst of noise and faint wind. I shifted my sweater and scarf closer to myself, the dark materials feeling smooth against my skin in the chilly weather. The sun had long gone up and I had managed a two hour nap before deciding to get up and finish the errand.

I ran a hand through my hair, probably making it look even worse since I hadn't bothered to shower or brush my hair before going out – too troublesome. I'd just do it when I got back to Kaito's later on. No harm, no fowl – I'd made sure to at least freshen up a bit and change clothes, so I didn't _smell_, at the very least. The gem currently sat comfortably, hidden away, in my messenger bag, which was slung around my shoulder casually. The hat I always wore while in Midori's form was twisted backwards on my head, my bangs sticking out of the little opening messily.

Gripping my train ticket to head to Ueda, my steps paused as a familiar voice called out curiously and I finally took note that something cold and metallic had shifted under my shirt a while ago.

"Watanabe?"

Oh, come on! With a short glare to the ceiling, as if glaring at some entity high above me, I quickly procured a sweet smile as I turned to the little runt. "Conan-kun~! What a coincidence! I didn't know you lived around here! I was just around the neighborhood and thought I'd catch a ride on the shinkansen to get somewhere~!" I rushed out with a friendly gush, internally wincing at how it sounded more like a nervous ramble. _Perhaps I should've worn my hat forward…_

I once again found myself a bit dizzy, facing an odd amount of vertigo since I was usually the same height as Conan and now he was way shorter than me now. His hands were, as per usual, in his jean pockets and he was wearing what appeared to be some sort of sport-supporter jacket. His Power Kick shoes were tied snuggly onto his feet. Well, there goes my option of running for the hills if he figured out I had a currently-stolen gem hidden in my bag just as snuggly as his shoes fit.

He raised a brow at my slur of conversation, stepping closer and I offered a sheepish grin. "So…, what are you doing here?" I questioned curiously once he was at a polite distance for conversation. People flowed around us, as if we were normal jagged rocks in a river, changing the course and standing firm; their colors blurred into an aimless splotch of color. In the haze of the moment, Conan's eyes seemed sharper and brighter, brilliant blue hidden behind too large frames; goosebumps appeared on my skin as I resisted the urge to run away.

"I spotted you while on my way to a nearby park. I thought I'd come over to talk." He smiled like any other normal child would and I found myself shrinking back into myself a bit as he continued, "What are you doing here, Watanabe? I thought you lived in Osaka…?" A small suspicion was heard in his tone and I bristled, lips raising to reveal white teeth as a feral grin spread across my mouth. Two could play at this game.

"I'm about to head over to Ueda to drop something off with a friend." I answered steadily, mockingly waving the printed ticket in my hand, 'Asama line' declared at the top along with other details. "And I do live in Osaka." I firmly tacked on, "I was just spending the night with a friend, since it's the holiday and all and I'mma head home after I'm done with my errand~!" _Hah_! Take that, Shinichi!

"Ah, Ueda, huh?" His face brightened and my victory seemed to be less of a win than I had thought. One of his hands came out of his pocket finally, revealing an exact copy of the ticket I gripped in my hand, except some numbers were printed differently. "I guess I'll be accompanying you, then, Watanabe." His expression lessened out to his usual smirk-smile as he shoved his ticket back into his pocket nonchalantly, my eyes blinking in pure disbelief. _The brat had…_

…he'd seriously put himself in the same train as me.

…on _purpose_.

…with a _goal_.

I swallowed thickly, offering a grin, grabbing his wrist and dragging his hand out so that I could drag him into the train with me as I headed to where we were supposed to board. "Well, then! Come on~! I don't want to miss the train, ya know." I laughed and my eyes slyly glanced over from my peripheral vision, ignoring the shrunken Heisei Holmes mutters of 'I don't like being manhandled' and my smile seemed to grow a bit amused. "I take it you'll also be joining me to Ueda Castle, then, _Conan-kun~_?"

The word was practically purred out and I saw him stiffen in discomfort – _good_~! – then pause for a moment before finally moving his short legs to catch up with my long strides, no longer resisting my pull. He glanced at me and finally seemed a bit more cooperative, but something in his gaze made my skin crawl, but I shrugged it off. I'd deal with whatever was coming when it came – no use worrying over it pointlessly. "Is that where you're going?" He asked.

I nodded shortly, finally boarding the train and pulling him to our seats, which just so happened to be assigned next to each other due to some strange course of fate – (either that, or he'd purposely purchased right after me…) ((_creepy thought_…)) – and we sat down on the colorful seats.

"Yup." I pulled out the crinkled paper from Akako, her elegant scrawl written clearly, "It definitely says Ueda Castle. …and then something about a rock…?" I rose a confused brow, as did my companion.

"Huh?"

ooOOoo

The train ride to Ueda was filled with idle chats between Conan and I, but mostly silence as the train continued on its hour and a half journey. I was restless, shifting every five minutes before we finally arrived at Ueda station at around ten-thirty AM.

"Ugh, that was too long of a trip." I grumbled to my companion as we walked out side-by-side, my shoulder flexing back to stretch in the minimum space. Conan let out a small, amused, snort. "It wasn't that long." He gave me a small smirk as I let out a whiny noise, pretending to be in agony. "But it _was_~! I can't stand long trips~!" I grinned as he rolled his eyes at my childish tone.

We finally exited the busy train station, heading out into the chilled air. "So, do you know where…," I pulled out the piece of crinkled paper again, reading off of it, "…Ninomaru is from here?"

He deadpanned up at me and I marveled the power of height over him, holding back a snicker. "You don't know where it is? Why didn't you look it up before you left?" He questioned me logically and I held a sheepish hand to the back of my neck. I actually hadn't thought of looking it up before I left. Well, this is a bit embarrassing…

At the obvious look of 'oops, I didn't', he gave another deadpan look. "Don't be like that~" I laughed, "We'll find it somehow!" Because there was no way I was going to ask for directions – my pride wouldn't let me.

After a few moments of scrambling, we found out that Ueda Castle was only a twelve minute walk away from the station and we easily headed to it in comfortable silence. My steps paused as we finally came face-to-face with the grand building. It certainly was majestic, the main entrance large, made out of old yet strong wood, the various roof's sloping creating an ancient scene, uchikomi-hagi style stone walls making up the rest of the fortress. It was amazing, and yet…

I glanced down to Conan, "Hey, don't you think it looks kind of creepy…?" I gave a purposely creepy grin, bringing my hands up in a gesture one would imagine on a ghost in a Japanese depiction. "Makes you kind of feel like youkai might start attacking you, huh~?" Despite that, lots of people were coming in and out of it, most with cameras and with groups of friends. It was obviously a tourist attraction and it looked lively enough, but somehow it felt odd – old and powerful. I had said it felt like a youkai might start attacking, but it felt different than that – it felt like the lord's and warriors and other important people who had once lived in the place would still be there waiting for you to come in. _Creepy…_

He gave me an unimpressed look. "There's no such things as youkai, Watanabe. They're just part of stories."

"I wouldn't be so sure – there are all types of things in this world that you may not even be aware of~!" Wiggling my fingers at him, I quickly dropped the subject as I once again took out the paper to look it over. My eyes scanned over the elegant scrawl. _After you arrive at Ueda Castle, find a rock. You'll know which one I'm talking about when you find it._

I scowled, stuffing the paper back in my pocket with an indignant huff. Couldn't she just tell me where the rock was? What was with witches being so vague about everything? "A rock." I announced, looking down at my companion, "Where would a rock be here?"

"You came here for a rock?" The look on his face said it all – 'you've got to be kidding'.

"Hush and help me look."

With that said, we began to scour the grounds of the tourist attraction, Conan checking inside the buildings while I checked the outside, probably looking ridiculous as I weaved between flora and dirt and around the freakin' pond place they had inside the gates. Overall, we ended up meeting back at the gate entrance, dirt smearing my cheeks and hands while Conan was still in pristine condition.

"Why…," I huffed, "Why can't we find it?!"

Conan's hand made it up to his chin in his classic 'thinking pose'. My eyes drifted down to him as I gripped my hair in one hand, my bangs sticking up slightly due to sweat and running my hand through it _way_ too many times. "Who wrote those instructions?" He questioned, inquisition oozing on his words like heavy acid.

"My…sister." I decided with before tacking on, "She likes giving me problems. I'm only on this errand because of her."

"Then have you checked the places you'd most likely look in? She's your sister, so she'd know you best." I froze, feeling a warm blush spread across my cheeks in embarrassment and quickly turned so that he couldn't see – though, by his amused smirk, I knew it was too late. "Um, no, I haven't. My sister is known for being…vague and difficult." I defended myself, coughing gently into a fisted hand, before closing my eyes in thought. Someplace I would most likely look through first, for a rock, specifically. My lips quirked in an annoyed – yet accomplished – smile. _Obviously, that would be…_

My eyes drifted to the sides of the main entrance, where large and ancient zelkova trees were standing tall and strong. Debating between which side, I went to the right, where the trees branches were wilting low as if it was a weeping willow, covering all that could be hidden underneath or around it due to its thick foliage. The tree on the left was significantly smaller and didn't have as much foliage to hide something from others not looking for it.

Sighing to myself, I headed over, biting my lip in slight nervousness – was I allowed to go over here? – before placing my worn sneaker on top of the small lifted stone wall thing and hauling myself over it, disregarding Conan's spluttered, "Oi! I don't think you can go there!" He sounded so genuinely panicked about me being arrested that I stifled a laugh, nose scrunching in distaste as I moved underneath the foliage of the zelkova, feeling itchy and dirty from my previous adventures of searching for the rock. If I had needed a shower before, I _definitely _needed one now.

The branches were blocking out the sun, only small streams of light let in as I shifted further under it, crouching down to fit in the cramped space without my butt sticking out like a sore thumb – if I really _wasn't _supposed to be in here, might as well not _flaunt_ it, right? I didn't particularly feel like getting arrested at the moment.

Loose dirt moved as I ran my hand along the ground's surface and I bit back a whine as something looking too similar to a centipede for comfort moved away darted away from my incoming limb. Swallowing down a groan, I continued racking my hand across the floor, trying to locate the rock in the darkness and looking out for any darker patches of shadows that could possibly be any creepy bugs. My hand hit something hard and cold and I grinned before flinching back as the thing _lit up_.

A spiraling red magical seal brightened the darkness in ominous red before cooling down to a calming blue. "You'll know it when you find it, huh? This is probably it, then…" Clapping my hands together to get rid of excess dirt, I carefully pushed the rock aside, a sparkling key hidden underneath its depth. It was small and silver and looked completely insignificant, if not hiding under a magical rock. A specific number was engraved on the part where you held the key, along with a company name. A bit irritated, I hurried back out of the depths of dirt and tree branches, sucking in the fresh air as I was once again in the light of the sun.

"What did you find?" Conan asked, peering at my hand in slight interest.

"A key. I think I'm being set on a treasure hunt, love." I sighed, purposely adding the pet name – if what I had thought about on the train ride here was correct, this would allow me to dodge any questions that the diminutive detective might bring up. If he asked any, I'd just say I was Jester disguised as Midori – it would work well enough; and since he thought Jester had a 'thing' for him (which was disgusting), then I'd use it to my advantage by dropping small hints.

He had paused at the nickname, but brushed it aside – for now. "A treasure hunt for what?" He deadpanned, not impressed that we probably would have to go find something else before arriving at my errand destination. "For…something with a key to it, apparently." I dangled the key in front of his nose, watching as his eyes became crossed as he stared at it, piercing eyes taking in the details easily.

"It looks like it's for some type of commercial building." He commented, glasses glinting off sunlight that poured from above. I fidgeted before nodding in agreement, pocketing the silver key in my sweater, offering him a grin. "Will I have the honor of you accompanying me to this commercial building?"

His shoulders slumped in a look of defeat – or disgruntlement? – and his head shook slowly in exasperation, bangs moving slightly. "I suppose one more trip with you won't hurt."

"Yay~! That's the spirit! Come on, let's find this mystery place!"

Grasping his hand in my bigger one gently, I began to tug him in the general direction of the rest of the city, not at all caring that I still looked like I'd been living in the jungle for a few weeks.

ooOOoo

"I think this is it." I announced, staring at the key's engraving for a moment before looking back up at the building before us. It was small – no more than a niche in the wall, really – and looked somewhat…_dubious_, windows blacked out with only a small, handmade, sign above the door. _Oak Doors_ was painted onto the carved wooden piece elegantly, proudly introducing you to the store. Other than that, there was no indication of what the store sold or anything – it was just _there_. People passed us by, as if oblivious to us and the store itself.

Conan looked up at me, giving me a brief feeling of vertigo before it vanished swiftly – I think I was getting used to it – and quirked an inquisitive brow. "Are you sure?" His eyes went back to trace the brick walls and the double-door entrance, which was, ironically, made with oak.

I licked my lips nervously, my brows furring to say 'hell if I know' as I gave a careless shrug. "I'm pretty sure." I answered vocally, disregarding my unsure body language, "The key says _Oak Doors Co_. so this must be the place. It's the only one with such a wacky name." A bubble of laughter rose in my throat. Because, _seriously_? _Oak Doors_? What kind of name was that for a store, even if they _did_ only sell oak doors?

"That's true…," He mused, almost begrudgingly agreeing as he gazed around the normal shopping district we were currently in, all the other stores open to the public and not looking as shady as the one we were standing in front of.

Steeling myself, my hand inched to the handle of the left door. "Well, let's go in!"

Warmth flooded over me as I pulled it open, the scent of incense washing over me in a burst of air, leaving me a bit dizzy and Conan scrunched his nose in distaste; a small bell hanging above the door chimed. "You'll get used to it." I admitted to him, offering a weak smile before ushering him in and entering the building myself, the door closing heavily behind us. Almost instantly, I felt trapped, but the inside of the store reassured me it was nothing _too_ strange – only something expected of somewhere Akako would send me.

Shelves lined the walls, filled with herbs in bottles and other miscellaneous nature-esque things, different names printed neatly on them; different types of candles lining the walls and different things that you'd probably only know the name for if you needed it or something. Some shelves were filled with books, large and small, all holding the word 'spells' somewhere in the title from what I could see from my vantage point. A small round table in the middle had empty jars stacked up tall, all ranging larger than the ones on the shelves and there was a sign hanging from the rim of the table – 'Save money and buy your things in bulk! Consult a worker to access where you can get your needed herbs!'.

It seemed like a Wiccan store – white magic things everywhere; there were even small kits you could buy for certain spells that contained your needed things to do it; kits for money, healing, and more. The different phases of the moon were painted on the top of each wall, standing stark against the scarlet paint that had been used to paint the interior of the building, and I spotted the full moon directly opposite to the entrance.

"A…a _magic_ store?" Conan whispered incredulously, disdain creeping into his voice. I flinched, remembering he was there, and glanced down to the _very_ displeased face he was giving me. Right, he was a non-believer…

"Erm," I grinned, "apparently."

We stared each other down, brown to blue, one pair nervous while the other was glaring quite intensely. However, I was thankfully saved from the tense confrontation when another, somewhat familiar, voice broke into our conversation, startling us both – and that was saying something, since barely _anyone_ could sneak up on the detective of the east.

"Oh, Kin-kun's not with you today?"

I whipped around in the voices direction, greeted with scarlet eyes and jet black hair dyed at the tips. The last time I'd seen her, her hair had been neatly put up with a kanzashi, but now her hair was merely pulled back in a loose ponytail, escaped strands framing her face. Her kimono image was replaced with a white T-shirt and jeans, an apron with the stores name printed on it. Apparently, she worked here.

"A-Ayala-chan! What are you doing here?"

She offered a small smirk that boasted superior-ness, crossing her arms over the front of her apron. "I live here with Noboru-san. He's in the back, if you need him, not doing his job as _usual_." Her tone bled into an annoyed one and one brow came down in an irritated slant across her forehead. Conan's blue eyes glanced over to me incredulously and I could definitely read the question there, 'you actually know the people who work here?'.

I offered him a half-hearted shrug and a lazy smirk before turning my attention back to the witch. "Ah, I'm not exactly sure who I'm here for. Akako-neesan sent me here because of something I need to give back to Osamu-kun." My hand shot out and I ruffled her silky locks, grinning at the death glare she gave in return, swatting my hand from her hair and fixing it with a delicate huff.

"Then you need to consult Noboru-san. He's probably the only one who knows where those idiots are." She sneered while I gave an amused laugh under my breath. She rolled her eyes at my immature actions before her red eyes drifted down to land on Conan, who was deadpanning at the events unfolding before him.

"Who's the small fry?" She asked, quirking a brow as she analyzed him. He blinked at the attention, a drop of sweat on his cheek as the orange tabby from before – Ra, I believe? – jumped from the floor, to a table, and then onto the girl's shoulder. His eyes narrowed in annoyance at the new nickname.

Seeing an open opportunity to tease the stiff detective, I swooped down, hoisting him up into my arms to hod him like a teddy bear. "This is Conan-kun, my boyfriend~!" My body shook with suppressed laughter as I heard the boy in my arms splutter and I wished I could have seen his face from the position we were in. It would most definitely be _priceless_! A sudden jab to my ribcage had me dropping the extra weight as I keeled over, pressing my hand protectively to my side with a yelp. The little fiend stepped away from me, looking frazzled, but accomplished at my pain, a smirk tugging at his lips. _Little brat_…

"Ow, Co-chan, you didn't need to abuse me!" I whined dramatically, pouting at him as I rubbed my wounded side. Little kids have damn sharp elbows.

Ayala was staring at me as if I was the world's biggest idiot she'd ever seen, and it somehow made me feel accomplished. Until a voice randomly spoke behind me, right next to my left ear, tickling my neck and brushing my hair with warm breath. "Hello, Midori-kun. I've been expect–"

"_Grahhh_!" The yell – which I would deny for the rest of my life – echoed through the smallish store as I jerked abruptly to the right, putting a hand up to shield my left ear and the left side of my neck from the creeper who had just snuck up on me. Conan had either been startled by my outburst or by the random appearance of the person, I wasn't quite sure which one. The two of us were off on our observation of our surroundings, apparently, since we kept getting startled. Or maybe it was just Koizumi's…

I traced the person with wide eyes, trying to regulate my breath and my speeding heart. He was tall, towering over me much like Spider did, but he wasn't _at all_ intimidating, lean and slim with a wrist that looked like it'd break easily from a small twist. He was almost lanky, but his clothes hid that fact – a black turtle neck and loose jeans with a baggy overcoat on top of his shirt. Wasn't he too warm? Sure, it wasn't the hottest weather outside, but inside of the building, it was decently warm due to the heater you could hear running in the background, humming constantly.

From under long, silky, bangs of silvery-blue locks, surprised baby blue orbs peered out at me, lips pursed slightly. "…You cut off my cool catch phrase." He stated, almost blankly, his voice light and fluttery, as if he was a breath lower, his voice wouldn't reach human ears. From his side, looking adorably short next to the man, Ayala turned her head away with a scoff, but it sounded more like a hidden laugh. "This is Koizumi Noboru." She gestured to the man, Noboru, with an absentminded hand before offering me a smirk. "He'll help you out. I have more important things to do. See you." She twirled on the heel of her black converse with a swish of her hair that reminded me of Akako's usual theatrics, disappearing into a back room labelled 'storage'.

I shifted awkwardly at the sudden disappearance of someone I knew, left alone with the ear-breather creeper and the shrunken Kudou Shinichi. Even though Ayala had this bad habit of looking down on others, I wasn't uncomfortable with her – instead, she kind of made me feel…okay; like it was okay to act like a normal teenager here. A similar feeling was always with Erise, too, so maybe that's why I suddenly felt trapped between two odd people when she left. I cleared my throat, offering a half-smile.

"No…boru-san, right?" I asked slowly, sneaking a peek at my companion to see that, thankfully, I wasn't the only uncomfortable one. Apparently, he didn't like people who could sneak up on him any more than I did.

He gave a soft chuckle. "It seems I've frightened you a bit. But, like Ayala-kun said, I'm Koizumi Noboru." He held out a pale hand, fingernails painted precisely with white paint, several different types of rings glinting off his fingers, gold and silver meshing into a blend of light colors. Politely, I grasped his hand, giving it a firm shake and the sound of a chain rattling was not unheard, my eyes locating the source connected to one of his rings – a chain connecting it to something hidden under the sleeve of his shirt.

Hmm, the more I think of it…isn't he wearing _too_ much jewelry? Even if he liked wearing it, the amount he was wearing was a bit _unreasonable_. His hands were _covered _with rings and his ears were almost completely pierced, a cartilage chain earring made simply with the chain itself caught my attention. If I looked close enough, I could make out small marking on the earring; indents inscribed in it. My breath caught a bit. Was this….

My eyes traced his many articles of jewelry as I pulled my hand back before settling on his gentle, non-intimidating face. _Were these all…charms?_

"It's nice to finally meet you personally. I've read your cards quite a bit to keep tabs on you, I hope you don't mind." _Eh?_ "But you live a quite interesting life." He admitted a bit sheepishly, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck, a faint pink blooming on his cheeks. Well, I mused a bit disheartened, that's probably how he knew I was going to show up here to ask him for the address to Osamu and his gang.

"Koizumi?" Conan asked, suspicion leaking into his tone. I froze, my heart stopping for a split second. He only knew me as Koizumi _Alice_, not Koizumi _Midori_! Again, two identities of mine were intersecting against my will, damn it! Was this going to be my downfall instead of something violent or my fault? A spike of irritation ignited in my chest, but I bottled it down with a grin at the smallest of our group of three, mind racing quickly as I plan bloomed instantaneously. If there was anything I prided it, it was my split decisions that could make or break me.

"Yeah, Koizumi! I'm actually distantly related to the family. Why, do you know someone with that last name?" I questioned, peering at him with a friendly gaze. Work, work, work, work, work, _work_…

Noboru immediately caught on, smiling as gently as any parental figure while watching their kids playing; but I got the oddest feeling his eyes were glimmering slightly in laughter. I instantly felt like smashing my head into the nearest, hardest, surface. Today was not starting well, that much was certain. And as the day progresses, it can only get worse from here, right?

I brushed the feeling aside – it didn't matter; I'd manage somehow – as the man placed a hand on my shoulder, looking at Conan as if expecting a positive answer in excitement. He wilted under our individual stares, only amplified due to two of us doing the same thing.

"Uh, yeah. No one important, though – just a classmate." He shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly and I felt my eyebrow twitch. _Nobody_, huh? Just for that, I'm going to put ice down his shirt at the next given chance My friendly smile must have turned somewhat feral, since he suddenly looked a bit disturbed, as if wondering if he had said something horribly wrong. Which, he hadn't – but it was still _rude_ to call a classmate 'nobody'. Especially in front of said person.

"I see. Well, send her our condolences. I'm certain that she is one of our own." Noboru spoke up, smile lessening out to a more neutral expression – yet it was still just as warm. It was easy to tell now that he was a good person, if you looked around everything else that made him look unbearably strange. But, still… Conan was the first to say something. "…Condolences?" _What was with that word choice?_ Condolences is something you send to someone when they're in need of sympathy or something!

"Eh? Is that not the word for it? But Kaori-kun told me that was the word to use when in a situation like this…," There was a tinge of a whining tone in his voice as he complained lightly, eyes closed in slight distress, pale lashes brushing equally pale cheeks. I snorted in amusement, laughter pouring from my mouth as I finally relaxed my tense shoulders, having just escapes a bad situation without too much trouble – and, sure, it would probably come back to haunt me, but I could think about that when it came.

I slumped against his side, feeling his ribs move a bit with suppressed laughter as well – truthfully, I think Conan was the only one on the outside of this particular joke. He looked disgruntled at that, too, which only made me laugh _harder_, hiding my overly-large grin in Noboru's shoulder, the cotton texture of his overcoat brushing my forehead.

I'm not sure how long we laughed, but by the time both of us had gained our bearings, _the_ Shinichi seemed to have gotten impatient of waiting for us to finish laughing over something _he_ (of all people) didn't understand. I swallowed another snicker, stretching my back before getting back to business. I needed to stop getting distracted.

"Anyways, Noboru-san, you probably already know why I'm here, right? Could I possibly get their address written on a piece of paper while I have a small chat with Conan-kun? We've been meaning to have a chat. Isn't that right, _chibi_?" I flashed my teeth in a dark smirk, looking down at him from my opposing height, my bangs falling further into my eyes.

There was a split second where his face was surprised before it smoothed over. His presence started growing and I swore his shadow seemed a lot longer than it had before in the fluorescent lighting of the building, a sharp smirk slowly spreading across his face, his glasses glinting dangerously. Blue peered up, undefeated and omnipresent. Such frightening power in that one gaze, my skin crawled with fear and excitement.

"Yeah. I was wondering when you'd bring it up, Watanabe."

ooOOoo

Noboru peeked through the small crack he'd created between the door and the wall of the storage room, eyes glistening in excitement. "Wow, amazing. They're both like big cats~" He whispered in awe, taking in their stances and confidence. From behind him, Ayala shuffled, moving boxes from place to place to create more space. Usually, that was Noboru's job, but as she had said before, he wasn't doing his job once again. "Kudou-kun is definitely a snow leopard. No, maybe a panther… but he still has room for growth. Not much, but that small burst will definitely make him unbeatable. Midori-kun is still a cub, but she'll grow with time – a tigers the best choice for her, I think…," He mused aloud to himself, hand to his chin in thought.

"I don't see what you find so exciting about this. And, anyways, isn't this the _second_ time someone has come to ask you about Osamu-kun and the others? What is this, a love fest for the little shits?" She sneered, heaving a particularly heavy box from the top of a pile to the ground, shooting the elder a crimson glare that could melt a normal person due to his lack of helping. She placed it down gently, hearing the jars inside clack together as she released a strained breath, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead.

Ice eyes sought her out, a deep knowing circling in their irises. "Ara, Ayala-kun, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous. Does it really bother you so much that Midori-kun didn't come here to visit you?" He moved away from the small crack, standing to his full height as a crick appeared on his lower back at crouching for too long. Grasping a nearby box, he easily began to shift the things around, finally doing a bit of what he was actually supposed to be doing.

As he expected, a red flush crept up the younger's neck, reaching to dust her ears. "A-As if! I'm just wondering what those morons are up to! Don't they have something to do today, anyway? Some deal with a nearby clan or something?" She questioned, regaining her bearings and getting back to work with an irritated huff as he once again stopped working in favor of shuffled a deck of cards that had appeared in flash of black sparks. His eyes watched as the back of the fifty-four cards moved against each other in a rhythmic flow, a faint smile on his face.

"No, I told them to take the day off." Noboru refuted, startling his noir companion into looking at him with an unguarded look for a second. Quickly, a scowl spread across her lips. Something she disliked about magic was the power of divination – a tool used in multiple different ways to predict multiple different versions of the future; to something as simple if a person was good for you or something as complex as the time of their death. Such accuracies of the predictions were purely based on the skills of the possessor, but something made her skin crawl at the thought of someone knowing the possible future of anyone.

"You read their cards, huh?"

More shuffling as he peeked through the crack for another peek at the two. "No, I read _her_ cards."

Ayala placed another box down with a huff, rolling her shoulders at her hard work. She'd been working since seven this morning, since she had nothing better to do during her winter break, and there were always things that needed moving around and such despite barely anyone coming to the store. She was beginning to think she was just oddly missing all the sales, if she didn't know any better. She knew Noboru was a friendly, caring, and gentle person, but sometimes she wondered about his integrity.

"Midori-chan's cards, huh? Then how did you know that the other woman and her group were going to come asking around for Osamu-kun's address? I mean, she was another–" She began her argument, but stopped short, eyes widening at the information that _clicked_ together in her head as easy as one-on-one in a game of chess. Smiling gently, Noboru patted her head softly at her connection, something like fatherly pride clouding over his eyes.

"Like I said, Ayala-kun…," He returned his hand to the deck of cards he had just finished shuffling, turning over the card at the top. The word _JOKER_ was written down the side of the playing card in English and he turned it so that his charge could see it. She analyzed the card, brows furring as she tried to reason the meaning behind the card. But, it was futile. She didn't have the talents of a precognitive witch, so the reason flew right over her head.

A detailed drawing of a grinning skeleton stared back at her from the card, eyes void and hollow, a three-tipped jester hat sat on its head, intricate designs playing outwards. Still, it somehow seemed to be laughing, sneering. She glanced up to her caretaker, waiting for an explanation she knew from experience she wasn't going to get. Even as he stared at the back of the card, he could obviously see more than was physically there for the eye to see.

His pupils dilated as a small, mischievous smile took his lips, still staring at the card as if he was seeing that answers to the meaning of existence.

"…I read _her_ cards."

ooOOoo

The atmosphere was tense and I felt like someone could cut it with a knife – and I just knew _someone_ was watching us. Ayala didn't seem the type to care personally about others' business, but the other one…He seemed like he was the type to like to meddle. I internally rolled my eyes. _Warlocks…_

"So, what was it you wanted to discuss with me, Co-chan? I've been waiting for you to bring it up, but you never did, so I thought I'd take the first leap off the edge of the bridge, so to say." I began, shoving my hands in my pockets in a bit of nervousness. Ever since I had come to the conclusion during the train ride that he wanted to ask me something since he bothered to follow me all the way to Ueda, I'd been anxious about what it was he wanted to know. If it was too hard to answer, I'd just fake it out.

He stared a moment longer before shifting as well, his hands finding their way back into their pockets, as well. He lifted a casual brow. "I wanted to ask you something." One step closer and my insides squirmed with the need to run in the opposite direction, "The last time we saw each other, you said it wasn't the weirdest thing that you'd seen in your life."

I offered a provoking grin, "And?"

He twitched and I knew I was getting under his skin. Good, good~! I didn't even bother toning down my grin, letting it reign full force over my face, teeth peeking out from behind my lips in an animalistic way. He glared at me in annoyance, piercing cerulean almost breaking my composure as he took yet _another_ step forward. How close did he plan on getting?! If he continued, my escape plan was going to blow up in my face. In a big, messy, explosive way. _Painfully_.

My foot shifted slightly to the side, but he caught it and gave me _The Look_. You know which one I'm talking about – that one _Look_ he gives to the criminals he knows he has cornered so deeply that there's _no_ hope for escape and it's pitiful to even _try_. Yeah. _That_ look. Adrenaline flooded into my system, making me shaky and cold as sweat was forced to the surface of my skin. I was suddenly aware of the different escape routes that were possible – the front entrance, the storage room where inevitable back-up would be, and the other door with no name printed on it.

"I've just been thinking that it's strange that you weren't the slightest surprise and you seemed to know exactly who I was without having to try." His voice was quite, so not to be overheard and my heart jumped into my throat, which had gone mysteriously dry. Water – I needed _water_. "Even Hattori needed to meet me _twice_ and we both know you're no detective." Wow, that a bit of a blow, even if it _was_ true – my pride was currently dying a pitiful death. Too far gone to be recovered now, pride – sayonara~!

Internally waving my pride goodbye, he just continued. "The only way you could've come to such a quick conclusion…is if you knew about the poison to begin with." He looked like he was about to take a bite out of my brain what with that smirk on his face and my vertigo heightened tenfold, making me cringe under the weight of it. I felt dizzy and _nauseous_ and wanted to hide under a rock all at once. Okay. Time for tactical evasion dn retreat!

I cleared my throat noisily, ignoring the burning scratching from holding my breath for too long and causing my throat to go dry. With a helpless shrug, I stepped away from him, shuffling backwards easily as he watched in moderate interest, searching for any signs that I was suddenly going to make a mad dash for the door. Steeling myself, I quirked my grin into something slightly demented, straining my throat as I forced my voice to sound deeper, thoroughly converting into Jester as my stance changed from confident and challenging to lazy and casual – the same stance he saw on the night of the Ruspoli heist.

His eyes sharpened at the change, obviously noting them.

"Ah, ah~!" I tutted my finger at him in a mock-scolding gesture, "You can't keep spilling your secrets to little old me, chibi-chan~! You never know…what an unknown 'black' might do with that type of information!" I snickered, slouching my back to look at him more properly and I felt _odd_ acting as Jester without wearing her ridiculous outfit. However, the act slid on like a comfortable sweater I was particularly fond of. He jolted.

"Jester!"

I clicked my tongue as he tensed horribly, hand already twitching to that damn annoying watch of his – those needles _weren't_ fun to be hit with; they freakin' _hurt_! Poor Kogoro had to deal with that a lot, too… No wonder he always called them the pokey-things. He wasn't kidding. "Not 'Jester' or 'Jester-san' this time, meitantei-kun." I drawled out in a seemingly bored voice, "It's 'kaitou'. _Kaitou Jester_." I was careful to keep the Osaka-ben out of my voice now, since Jester supposedly was based around Tokyo and was thoroughly _Tokyo_. The one with Osaka-ben was Midori. I wasn't her now. _Gosh, I could feel a headache coming on…_

Conan looked startled and maybe a bit…astounded? _Why?_ Weirdo, I chuckled internally, once more shifting stance to another step behind me – a step further from my current adversary. He countered, also stepping forward as if we were perfecting a dance together. Did that mean I was the guy, then, since he went after me? The thought had a short bark of laughter leaving my lips, worrying the detective of the east that I had something up my sleeve, when in fact I was just laughing at him.

"_Haha_–I do admit, your friend here is fun to play. I can tease you _all_ I want and you won't suspect a thing, since she does the same!" This was weird. "What'd you think of my Osaka-ben? Spot-on?" I laughed, reverting to it for a moment before forcing it back down to talk my standard. He looked disturbed more than anything and that just made me want to drown in laughter. I'd disturbed the 'indestructible' detective! I just felt like I won one-hundred bonus points just for the face he was giving me. It was _priceless_!

Savoring the moment, I quickly pulled my phone out of my pocket, snapping it open and taking a quick picture of the expression on the chibi, shaking with mirth. If possible, he became even more perturbed by that action before giving a scowl a second later. Finally, he seemed to get his crap back together.

"It's impressive, I'll give you that, but your acting was off. I was wondering why Watanabe was so touchy-feely today – it was out of character for her, but it didn't occur to me I might be dealing with someone who likes people way younger than them." Did he _seriously_ just indirectly insult me with what I think he did? He cut me off before I could begin laughing, though, his face defiant. "And 'kaitou'? Don't make me laugh – what makes you deserving of that title after stealing only two gems?"

Oh, now it's on, _runt_!

I pocketed my phone one-handedly before digging through my bag, sliding on my glove with some difficulty and grasping last night's prize. I brought beside my cheek, gazing at it with shaded eyes as his face paled. "What? But you didn't send out a note!" He half-shouted, fist clenching now that they were outside of his pockets – officially out of his comfort-zone. Caressing the _Pari Passu_ with my cheek briefly, I put it back into my back securely, done flaunting.

"Oh, you _do_ have faith in me, dear~!" I blew him a kiss that had him grimacing in disgust. "But I don't remember ever saying I would always send notes! Besides, my last arrangement for a date went unnoticed by my loved one, so there was really no point in sending another one. Besides," My sly smirk changed into a Cheshire grin as the analogies kept flying off my lips like hotcakes. It was like Jester was speaking for herself – it was something I realized, but it didn't really bother me. "I already found a new date and he's _much _more interesting than some boring detective~! You could say we complement each other~! _KID's and clowns love playing together, after all~_!" I chimed, finishing my blow in English, making it vague that my 'date's' name was KID. He tensed, about to bolt forward for a surprise attack.

Okay, time to stop messing around.

As he bolted forward, wrist coming up to shoot his prickly anesthetic needles, I quickly faked a sprint to the right before breaking left, his needle missing by centimeters – holy crap! – and my hand grasped a familiar cool can in my bag. Pulling it out just as he bent to turn on his shoes, I beat him by a landslide, quickly spritzing his face with a large amount of sleeping gas, watching as he cursed and narrowed his eyes before the blue orbs hazed over and rolled up, his body beginning to fall.

I sighed in relief, crouching quickly to save him from hitting the floor. His head lolled against my shoulder as I picked him up easily, supporting his weight easily despite feeling a bit fatigued by the small showdown. My eyes turned to Noboru as he walked back into the room from the storage, humming to himself as Ayala followed behind him, holding _way_ to many boxes for any normal person. "I see you both had quite a dispute~! Thank you for bringing such interesting entertainment to my shop." Noboru smiled genuinely and I was stunned by the weirdness of that sentence as a whole.

Shaking my head, I decided to ignore him as Ayala set down the boxes on top of the counter and Noboru set to shuffle through them, seemingly not expecting a reply from me as he went back to work. "I'll send him home for you, since that'd be too much effort on your part." The girl said, a smirk pulling at her lips as she brushed the red tips of her hair. "Erm, okay…thanks…," I stepped towards her, ready to hand off the sleeping child, but taking him home like a normal person was apparently not what she was planning. _Go figure_.

She took a deep breath, eyes closed, before they flew open, red shining deeper and brighter than before – it was as if they were _glowing_ from some type of internal light. I flinched back at the sight, taken aback as a small gust of wind came out of nowhere, circling the girl and blow her hair like a wild torrent that didn't affect her in the slightest. A red magical circle leaked out from her converse, spreading like coagulating blood and I realized just how _different_ it was from the many times I saw Akako use small magic.

I usually only saw her making potions or making things appear from nowhere in black sparks, but this was on a different level. This wasn't small magic – it was…_powerful_. The air was thick with tension – not from nervousness or anxiousness, but because the energy she was letting out was bouncing off the walls and rebounding back, as if hitting a giant solar panel. I suddenly felt small and weak compared to the others in the room, hugging Conan closer to my chest in amazement.

"Okay. You can put the brat down in the middle of the seal and anything else you want to send with him and then I'll send him back." My eyes flashed to Ayala, who had just walked out of the seal she had created, face glowing red in the light of her magic, which made the room look darker due to the light itself overpowering everything in the room and becoming the main source of light – everything was dyed in dark red. Flushing at my completely normal reaction to magic, I nodded and hurried to the counter to jot down a small note in Jester's regular handwriting before pinning it to his shirt and darting to the center of the seal.

Unlike the seal that I had been in before – the one that had been formed during the pact with Yuudai – this one felt completely unfamiliar and foreign and I felt as if placing him down would be effectively placing Conan's life in another's hands. It made me feel…a bit _uneasy_.

"Don't worry, Midori-kun. Ayala-kun is just using a simple transportation spell. It will merely cause him to go into the magical inter-spectrum of her seal and then make him appear on the other side, at his house, in his room. It automatically programs itself, too, so it's convenient. It doesn't take more than a few seconds." Noboru assured from behind the counter, even though he wasn't even paying much attention, looking carefully at his bottled products.

Biting my lip, I placed my trust in Ayala and placed the shrunken Heisei Holmes down gently in the middle of the seal, fixing his bangs briefly before hurrying out of the circle. With a flash of blinding red light, the circle and Conan were gone, probably on their way back to the Detective Agency. Well, that was that.

"Thanks, Ayala-chan." I murmured to her in thanks, getting a scowl as she went back to getting more boxes from the storage room. I shook my head in exasperated fondness at her repeated tsundere-ness, allowing myself to relax.

"Here's the address."

I jumped at the voice whispered into my right ear, jerking violently to the left in an opposite of what happened earlier. "_Grah_! Would you _stop that_?!" I growled, protecting my ear with one hand while I shot him a glare. Wasn't he just behind the desk, too?! How'd he get right next to me?!

Ignoring my anger, he passed me a piece of folded paper – which I took begrudgingly – and ruffled my hair before heading back to sort through the boxes on the counter. I peeked at the note curiously, unfolding the paper before giving a blank look. …_Huh_?

_LoFate Hotels, Ueda, Nagano, Japan. Room #2425. _

Hold the phone.

Room _what _now?!

ooOOoo

Conan woke, groggily pulling himself out of sleep slowly. Slower than usual. A sudden alertness over took him – Jester! She's drugged him again! Already, that was the second time he fell for it and he was feeling a bit lousy, though maybe it was just the after-effects of the sleeping gas. He pried open his eyes, groaning at the sudden light that was flooding the room since it was around mid-afternoon by now. He placed a hand on his pounding head, willing away the headache. He'd just let a thief get away with a stolen gem that was worth who knows how much.

With a sigh, he pulled his blanket over his head before freezing mid-gesture. Wait, how the hell did he get back into his room? …Was that a dream? His brows furred in distaste – there was _no way_ he would mistake reality with a dream unless it was a nightmare (though, he supposed it would be one if she was there). A crinkle of paper as he shifted again brought his attention down to a piece of paper clipped to the front of his shirt with a safety pin.

Sitting up, he swiftly unpinned it, unfolding it to read it contents. He immediately wished he hadn't.

_Thanks for the date, love! You made a perfect date – we even had a small dance together! I look forward to our next one. And we won't lose~! After all, my new boyfriend will be there, too! Prepare yourself; he's more terrifying than me by a mile, and since you always seem to lose against me… ah, did I hit a sore spot? Don't mind! I love you~! (smooch, smooch) _

_Looking forward to our next date – maybe we'll go to Step #3? (winking face) _

_Love you, babe, _

_Jester!_

He deadpanned, immediately crumbling the note and throwing it in the general direction of the trashcan to throw out later, scowling to himself as he fell back onto his pillow. _That woman_…unpleasant as ever, he mused in irritation. His face smoothed out as he recalled a certain thing that had bothered him, a frown making its way to his lips as he stared up at his ceiling with unreadable eyes.

_Why…did she have Koizumi's phone? _

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kudou Shinichi Tanteisan – (Sighs in Relief) I'm glad. I was worried it was going to be super strange, lol. XD (Laughs) Yup! It's exactly like that. XDDD (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~! 8DD **

**To: DDmasters – I'm so excited for when I get to her~! I have lots planned for her beginning arc and so I'm really looking forward to it! I'm so impatient that I want to just breeze through other chapters, but I'd hate myself afterwards, lol. XDD (Grins as it rains cyber cakes) Thank you, DDmasters~! 8DDDD **

**To: MiniMiao – I'm glad you were surprised that Spider has a soft side. XD I made him under the pretense that, yes, he's evil, but he **_**did**_** come from somewhere inside Midori, so there has to be some good there **_**somewhere**_** (hidden deep under layers and layers of douchebag-ness, lol) (Laughs) I had fun writing dark!Midori. I was feeling kind of down when I wrote that, so it oddly made me feel better. (lols, I dun even know) And I'm glad I'm not the only one that sees Toichi as a wise man! 8D I felt like I was making him OOC, but we barely know him, since it starts when he's already dead. But, he's one of my favorite characters. XD Lol, don't worry – sometimes I think a character looks a certain way as well for some reason and then I end up being completely wrong and it's like, "huh?" XD Thank you! I think it's because I used to live in Michigan and I got used to the cold (and I was never very susceptible to germs) and we moved to places that don't get as cold and it didn't affect me as much because of that. (well, except for that one time I got pneumonia, lol) SNK stands for Shingeki no Kyojin (or Attack on Titan)….and wow, I just realized how long its been since I wrote the last chapter. I knew it had been long, but SNK has been finished for a while and I was talking about it just finishing, orz. Not as tortured as I had planned, but it'll do. XD I'll definitely watch it! And Dangan Ronpa sounds really interesting (read the summary), so I'm looking forward to starting it once I get the time! 8D Currently, I'm only watching Magi and Kuroko no Baske, so I should be able to find the time! ^^ I hope you did well on your exams! (I planned to wish you well, but this is so late, it burns, lol) (Accepts Pumpkin-Shaped Cookie) Thank you~! Yup, the Koizumi's. I have a bit of trouble remembering their names off the bat, too, but I have character profiles and reference pictures and the such, so I'm good. XD Three more in the next chapter, lol. **

**To: Hikaris4ever – lol, not sure if this was an accident or the last chapter was just strange enough to put this (kind of was; wouldn't blame you, lolz), but thank you for the review all the same! 8D **

**To: Iriss-sama – It's alright! ^^ (I rely on emails way too much, as well *whispers* lulz) (Laughs) Don't worry, I get that feeling for a lot of things like the last chapter, too. XDD Like, my favorite character from the Kagerou Project is Kuroha and he literally kills everyone, so I should feel sad, but I don't. It just makes me like him more…which is weird, but…orz. XDD I agree. Writing bad guys has to be the most fun-est (not a word, but meh) ever! I think maybe it has something to do with breaking rules…or something, lol. I dunno. (Shrugs) I'm sure someone studying psychology could give you a legit reason, but I have no idea. XD Yeah, I felt bad killing off Erise. It hurt. She's a really likable character, so even if it was in a fake world, it still made me a bit depressed to kill her off, but I couldn't think of another way to wake the utopian-Midori up, lol. It was the most reasonable, logically thinking. And yup~! Toichi and Midori are a somewhat big point in this story~! XD I have fun with Toichi, so I shall use him as I see fit. (Plays with Puppet) lol, that sounds horrible. ((but its what all writers do with their characters, lol)) Thank you for all the luck, Ri-chan~! And I'll definitely continue writing this story, even if it updates pretty late.;;**

**To: MiniMiao (Chapter one review) – Ahh, I'm sorry this is so late. (Grimace) I got writer's block, then I was lazy, then I hated every word I wrote on it, and then I just got busy (and then lazy again, orz). So, I don't have any legit excuse, but I'm sorry for making you wait so long. But thank you for the review! It finally got my butt in gear and here's the chapter, lol. Without you, this probably would've come out sometime in January, since I had no will to write this chapter, 'cause it seemed never ending, lol. XDD Thank you for encouraging me and sorry for the long wait! (Gives Cyber cookies) **

**-Done. I finished. This chapter…was supposed to be longer, but this will do, since it's already in the 15,000's. XD See you guys next time and hopefully it won't be such a long wait! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and if you don't celebrate anything, have a good week! 8DDDD Also, Happy New Years! Next March 31****st**** and it'll be three years since I began this story. Thanks for sticking with me throughout the years! I hope your new year is prosperous and great! ^^ I won't be updating 'til next year due to personal issues, but I'll definitely see you (if not before) in March! 8D **

**Note(s):**

***Yggdrasil – In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology, in connection to which the nine worlds exist.  
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***I added quite a bit of little things that refer to earlier chapters and a few hidden jokes (the reason why I had Noboru use a regular deck of cards for fortune-telling; the reason for the name of the shop, ect.), so maybe you can spot them out, though some refer to knowledge I have on mythology, so… XD (There's also an inside joke between my sister and I about why I put everything in Ueda, Nagano, lol)**

***You may have noticed that Noboru called Conan "Kudou-kun". That was not a typo. XD **


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N: Filler chapter is filler. Please enjoy this somewhat pointless chapter. XDD Also, there's lots of time skips in this, so I hope you don't get confused. XDD (I'm pretty sure you won't, but.. –shrugs– ) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!) Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama. **

Chapter Fifty Five

Contrary to my expectations of the building, the hotel I eventually found my way to wasn't freakin' giant. It was a decent size, stretching several floors up, but nowhere _near_ the sky-scraper heights I'd been looking for (which, in hindsight, was probably why it had taken a while to find the place). The building was a faded beige and the entrance was quite nice, a porch cover that was a dark green stretching over a generous expanse of the drive-by spot of the parking lot. Cars lined the lot and it seemed they got a lot of business, since I could hear laughter coming from inside from where I was standing a few feet from the glass doors.

With a sigh, I stuffed the directions given to me by Noboru into my sweater pocket, striding up to the doors and pushing through easily. Almost immediately, my nose wrinkled at the assault of smells; cigarettes and alcohol lingered in the air and freshly baked goods drifted by. It was a bad combination, to say the least, but it was something you got used to in minutes and I relaxed a bit. I wandered further inside, feeling a bit out of place in the high-class place.

The front desk was currently busy, business men talking with the lady behind it as she typed some things out on a computer, but my attention was snagged by the bar to the far right of the lobby. A _bar_ in a hotel lobby? That was a first – for me, anyway. It struck me as odd, especially the overwhelming amount of people lounging around said lobby, as if everyone here was holding a big party – there was a group of teens sitting at the couches, a few older men speaking to each other while they sat on a long table modified to have plugs for your electrical devices, and there were women gossiping to each other near the pool table. Yes, _pool table_.

There were even a few children running around, seemingly playing tag while maneuvering through the other people skillfully. The sight brought a smile to my lips and I spotted the elevator, heading towards it with determined steps. The faster I got this done, the faster I could go back to the Kuroba household and eat some of the sweets Kaito had hidden somewhere in the top cupboard while he was gone with Aoko. I think he was starting to notice that a few cookies and snacks would go missing every few days.

I hesitated as I was about to press a floor, feeling my eye twitch. He hadn't put the floor, I realized, and I had no idea how many rooms were on a floor. Heck, it didn't even seem possible for the floor number to be so high! With a sour expression, I pressed the first floor, deciding to just look for the room on every floor. It would take a while, but it was better than floundering around like an idiot.

Checking the first floor was a dud – though, I did figure out that this building started it's room numbers started at 2,000. Why? I had absolutely _no_ idea. Maybe it was to make themselves unique and freak people out who see people's room numbers? Who knows. Either way, now I knew that they were merely in this hotel's room #425, carefully disguised as something unreachable. I passed through floor two and three, both dud, before finally reaching the door to the elusive room on floor four.

I bit my lip pensively, raising my hand before carefully knocking on the wooden door. I waited patiently, rocking back and forth on my heels nervously. What would these people be like? Were they scarier than Akako? Scarier than _Gin_? I snorted at the thought. Yeah right – I don't think anyone could manage to terrify me as much as he did. I was worried that if I ever did run in to the black organization member again, I'd freeze in fear instead of making a hasty getaway.

Shaking the thoughts away, I paused, raising a brow in question. It had been a few minutes since I knocked…

…Don't tell me they weren't in at the moment?

A frustrated sigh escaped my lips as I ran a hand through my hair. I just walked through three floors and they're not even here. I was slowly beginning to dislike Osamu-kun and his group, even though I'd never met them personally or remembered who they were exactly. A clattering from my side caught my attention and I jolted, my head whipping around to stare at a small woman pushing a cart. She had come to a halt and I analyzed her, taking in her beautiful kimono with long sleeves that sagged over, hiding her hands, and the fox mask covering the top half of her face, cutting off at the muzzle. It was white with small ears and black designing the ears, circling the eye holes, and creating the nose, while bright red created different symbols along the face. I recognized it as an okami fox mask.

She spoke first. "Ah, are you here to visit Koizumi Osamu-sama?" Her voice was soft and pleasant to listen to.

"U-Uh, y-yeah." I nodded, blinking in slight interest. She gave me a smile, "I see. They're down in the lobby, honey."

My brow twitched. Are you freakin' _kidding_ me? I had been down in the lobby and I didn't see anyone that looked even vaguely familiar. I suddenly felt like just giving up and going back home, but I _had_ to do this. For myself. Otherwise Akako would betray my trust. And then Kaito would know and he'd treat me different as Alice and I didn't want that. I'd fallen into a comfortable routine as Alice at his house and to have that change would be…hard, I suppose.

"I see…thank you." I gave her a bow in thanks, stepping to go around her back to the elevator to take me back to the lobby, but a hand caught my arm as I was about to pass. "Dear, come with me first. We should get you cleaned up. This is no way to present yourself to unfamiliar people." Oh no, she was mothering type! My face paled a bit as she began to drag me to the room that I'd searched diligently for. She grabbed a towel and a bottle of shampoo and soap from the cart she'd been wheeling, the door opening as if it hadn't been locked as she surged forward, dragging me to the bathroom with her.

"W-Wait! If you're so adamant about it, I can bathe myself!"

"Nonsense! By the way you came in, I can only expect that you don't particularly care about personal appearances."

"B-But–!"

I sighed, swallowing my useless words of protest as I shoved her out of the room and closed the door, pulling off my shirt begrudgingly. Might as well get cleaned up, I suppose. And now that she mentioned it, I _did_ feel grimy.

ooOOoo

I fiddled with my new clothing as I headed down to the lobby. After I'd bathed, the woman had given me a pair of clean clothes and brushed my hair, even going so far as to put a clip, shaped like an 'X', to keep half of my bangs away from my eyes. Some part of me was curious if she had her own kids, 'cause she'd be a great mother, but I discarded the thoughts. We'd parted after I thanked her immensely and then she'd disappeared down the hall to get back to her original course of work.

The elevator dinged at my arrival at the lobby floor, the doors sliding open. With a grin, I stepped out, heading over to where she told me I'd find them – around the bar area, supposedly. The smell of alcohol got stronger as I walked closer, weaving through the ridiculous amount of people in the lobby. My eyes scanned over the hordes of people before landing on three certain people, speaking to two other people, standing out. There was nothing too extravagant about them, regular clothes blending them into the crowd and they seemed like regular customers at the hotel.

What _did_ stand out, however, was their eyes. Bright crimson of the same shade peeked out behind their bangs, very similar to some of the other Koizumi clan members' eye colors. What really sealed the deal of me, though, was that now that I saw them, I vaguely recalled seeing them at the family reunion. They were a group of three that had sent uneasy shivers down my spine. I fidgeted before walking closer, hoping to just give them the _Pari Passu_ and then book it back home, where I'd promptly reward myself with some cookies and then go to sleep like a useless piece of furniture on the couch before inevitably being woken by Kaito when he got back from his trip with Aoko.

However, since I wasn't a rude individual (or, at least, I hoped I came off as somewhat polite), I stood off to the side as they continued a conversation with a tall woman and, what I'm assuming was, her husband. Well, there was no ring and they both looked decently young, so…boyfriend and girlfriend, maybe? …Or just friends, I berated myself with a hint of a sharp smile. I caught the odd tale end of their conversation as I glanced around the room patiently, turned away as to not seem opposing.

"–haven't actually met you yet~!" It was accompanied with a snicker that sent an uneasy shiver down my spine.

"Ah, is that so?" The woman was speaking and she sounded amused. "I actually think it was today. My memories actually seem to be altering a bit." Her friend gave a laugh after a second before replying in a scratchy voice, "That wouldn't actually be surprising, considering…," I blinked as the words disappeared, seeming to be whispered.

After a moment of silent laughter, the woman spoke again. "Anyway, we need to go. See you!" Prompt and to the point, the two began to head away as I turned back to the group of three who were waving. Golden eyes blinked back at me before the two disappeared into the surrounding crowd. I stared after blankly. Those eyes had oddly reminded me of Kin. I shook away the prickling feeling of discomfort and a voice stole my attention.

"Ah, is that you, Koizumi Midori-chan~?"

I twirled on my heel quickly at the call of my name, offering a grin to the group of three. My eyes drifted to the one that seemed to be the ring leader, offering a smile and welcoming eyes, his hand lingering on the arm of the one that I believe had just spoken; wild silver-grey bangs obscuring the upper half of his face, bits of red eyes piercing through. He looked like the only one capable of speaking in such a frivolous tone, with a downright creepy grin while the others remained politely reserved. The arm on his hand oddly reminded me of someone holding back their dog when meeting a new person.

The one smiling greeted me first, keeping his hand on the silver haired fellow. It seemed a bit demeaning to the person in question, but the boy himself didn't seem to mind and it did make me feel a bit more at ease with him, so...

"I'm Osamu." I drilled his features into my brain for future reference; soft black hair and crimson eyes, housing a cold distance despite his kind attitude at the moment. Then again, Akako _had_ said that they were decent _if you disregarded most of their personality_. Maybe Osamu was the type to be a complete fake all the time? I did admit, his smile _was_ a bit irksome, in a way that made me want to pull his cheeks just so that he would display a different expression. I didn't, though. I like _living_, thank you very much, and I could feel a thick discomfort from being near him. Or maybe it was his 'dog'. They were all kind of blending together.

Osamu gestured his other hand at the other boy with them, his face turned away, headphone placed firmly over his ears. He was wearing a mask over the lower half of his face, so I could only assume he was sick or something. Better keep my distance then, I noted; I didn't have _any_ intentions of getting sick so early in the new year. Or anytime soon for that matter. Despite not having his gaze on me, I could clearly see that he was the one with the softest looking eyes, not harsh or cold or obscured. He almost looked like he was thinking of something that made him cry, his hands fiddling with the scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, brown hair splaying across the faded blue fabric.

"That's Yuuto-kun. He's probably the nicest here, so you'll probably get along with him the best, if he decides to stop being antisocial." Osamu introduced, his face still neutral despite the odd extra information. Finally, he moved his hand from the other's arm, drawing my attention from Yuuto (who was still avoiding looking at me, jerk…), and instead settled it in the silvery locks of the other, patting and smoothing down hair. My brow twitched as I struggled to keep a polite grin at Osamu. This was getting a bit weird.

"This is Takashi." They were either close or he had no respect for the other, I concluded, but seeing as how Takashi seemed to light up at being referred to by the other, I'm guessing it was the former. However, by his name being mentioned, it was like Takashi lost all concept of self-control.

"It's nice to meet you! It's been a while since we've talked to someone casually, so it's nice to know that you willing came to us! You also retrieved something that once was Osa-tama's, so that earns you bonus points!" I blinked at his surge of speech, excited and bubbly. He was leaning forward, grinning widening with every word – which was an impressive feat, since his face had looked like it was going to split in two earlier without the added happiness.

"I-It's nice to meet you, too!" I laughed, feeling his enthusiasm spread to me as well. Despite being the one that Akako had called an 'undeniable psychopath', he seemed more like a little kid on a sugar high to me; with a quiet brother and a doting father who didn't like people associating with his 'little boys'. I snorted internally, biting my lip to keep from laughing as I thought of that. Osamu gave a small chuckle, seeming to soften ever _so_ slightly – _definitely_ a doting father. I held back another round of giggles.

"By the way, Midori-chan," The black-haired young adult (at least, that's what he looked like, but he _was_ a Koizumi) began after a second of silence. "Have you been to a shrine yet?"

I blinked at the seemingly random question. "Um, no, I haven't yet. I actually didn't plan on going to one." I replied, brow raising in silent questioning, toying with the fabric of the hem of the shirt I was borrowing. It was a nice thing, similar to one Akako had bought for me on that one shopping spree for clothing for Midori; black with graphic designs and random English words printed on it in a 'punkish' way. When I had picked it, Akako had given me an amused look and then insisted that I get clothing to go along with it. In the end, I'd ended up with half my wardrobe clothes punkish clothing and the other half 'odd', as Akako had put it, since I apparently had a 'weird' sense of fashion.

Takashi brightened, hand tugging on my wrist to pull me closer, eyes shining happily behind his bangs. "Then we should go together! We haven't been to one yet, either~!" He chirped before turning his attention to Osamu, as if in permission.

They had what appeared to be a staring contest before Osamu sighed lightly, an amused smile playing on his lips. "I suppose it should be alright. Once we go to the shrine, we can come back to the hotel and then eat something, then Midori-chan can go home." He nodded and the whole sentence sounded more of a command then a suggestion of any type. Even if I _tried_ to deny going to the shrine and eating with them, I_ knew_ I would be pulled along. Osamu was somewhat of a tyrant, I realized, feeling a bead of sweat slide down my cheek.

"I-I guess that would be okay." Damn, I stuttered. I felt my cheeks heat in slight embarrassment and I looked away towards the only person who wasn't looking at me to hide it – except, he was looking. Staring, more like it. I flinched. I think I know why Akako didn't want to come now. They weren't normal, but they didn't come off as completely weird, either. They were at a neutral-ish zone that made you uncomfortable.

Shifting my gaze to my boots, I shuffled. "We should go now, then… I have to be back home soon, so that Kaito-niichan doesn't worry."

"Yay~! Let's go, let's go!"

With that, Takashi had tightened his hold on my wrist and took off to the exit, the other two following us close behind.

ooOOoo

I was slowly learning that Takashi was the type of chatterbox person who would talk and talk and _talk_. I mean, I didn't have anything against chatterboxes, but he kept asking questions about me and I was getting a bit irritated, since I was still a bit tried despite my short nap. With my hands shoved deep in the pockets of my jeans, I considered ditching them in the crowd and heading back to the hotel, leaving the gem in their room, and then going home to sleep and eat. But I had a feeling it'd make the child-esque adult cry, and I'd feel _guilty_.

"So, what's your favorite color?"

I held in a sigh. "Red."

"Favorite food?"

"Pizza."

"Favorite Japanese dish?"

"Udon."

"Any specific type?"

"…Miso-nikomi udon."

He gave a thoughtful hum, nodding in mock-serious concentration. "I see, I see~!" My brow twitched. What did he '_see_'? What was there _to_ see? Before I could lose my self-control and input a witty comment, he cut me off to start the flow of questions again.

"Favorite bands?"

"Linkin Park, Broken Iris, Breaking Benjamin, and others, I guess…," That was a tough question, since I didn't exactly have favorite bands and I just chose several that came to mind that I knew a lot of songs for. "I listen to a lot of different genres, though." I amended.

Despite his confused face – since he probably didn't know the English bands and they might not even exist here – he nodded in assent before firing off yet another question, "Japanese bands?"

"B'z and Aya Kamiki, if she counts as a 'band'." I listed, snorting to myself when I realized I had come to know B'z because of the anime I was currently stuck definitely had to be my favorite band of all time, excluding a few others, so I found it amusing that I was conversing about them in the place I'd discovered them.

"Did you see the sunrise with anyone last night~? I watched it with Osa-tama! It was really pretty~!"

"No, I did–" I paused, looking to the right in thought, "Actually, I did. I watched it with someone weighing me down like a sack of potatoes. And he was asleep, so technically, I watched it alone."

"Fair enough. Favorite brand of shoes?"

I paused. What kind of weird question was _that_? Weren't shoes just _shoes_? A small laugh caught my attention and I turned to see Yuuto looked purposefully away, a hand up to his mask, his shoulder shaking in suppressed laughter. My eyes widened in surprise. I think that was the first emotion he's shown since I've shown up. A grin stretched across my face and I didn't comment on his laughter, turning my attention back to Takashi.

"I don't care about the brand of shoes, as long as they're comfortable and not crap-ugly, and I can run from someone in them." Especially the run part, I added internally.

"Run from someone?"

"Yes."

"Care to elaborate~?" His grin was shit eating. When the heck were we going to get to the shrine?

"No, thanks."

"Takashi, that's enough pestering." Osamu cut in, making my shoulders slump in relief. With a pout, the silver-haired male turned to his friend. "Aww, why, Osa-tama? She was just beginning to crack~!" He gave a strangled giggle, sounding almost like he was choking holding it back, before it turned into erupted into full-blown laughter, his frame shaking as he latched onto the leader of their little group, seeming to have a weird type of seizure that made him unable to stop laughing.

I shivered at the sound, stepping back, the laugh echoing off the pavement with high lilts as all four of us stopped walking, since Takashi couldn't stand straight anymore, tilting to laugh upwards to the sky before tilting forward to laugh into Osamu's shoulder. Maybe the title psychopath _was _justified…but how come? He had been acting fine a second ago. His face was twisted up in a large grin, but his brows were curved downwards.

I jolted as a hand came in contact with my shoulder, my head whipping around to stare at Yuuto's expressionless face.

"He's just having a moment. Osamu-kun will take care of it. Let's go to the shrine." He stated, his eyes still compassionately soft, beginning to pull me away in the direction of the shrine as Osamu began to say something quietly to Takashi, who had finally stopped laughing, but was gasping, as if low on air.

"U-Um, okay…,"

I stumbled forward, following Yuuto through the crowd of people who were starting to disperse after Takashi's little episode. I admit, it was a bit odd, but I couldn't bring myself to think of Takashi in a scary light. He was too childish most of the time, and so just because he was 'having a moment' didn't represent him in a dislikable light to me. I really couldn't understand why Akako was practically terrified of him.

In a way, it made me laugh.

ooOOoo

Yuuto and I had arrived at the shrine and had gone inside together, the place practically overflowing with people in kimonos and other fancy clothing. He and I looked kind of out of place with our casual wear as we travelled in, heading to the place where we could pray, slowly meandering through the line, but nobody paid any mind to the two of us.

"So…what exactly happened to Takashi-san…if I can ask?" I question hesitantly, curiosity brimming in my voice. I fidgeted, hoping it wasn't a sore spot as we waited in line, twirling a five yen coin in my fingers in preparation for making a wish. As soon as we had arrived, Yuuto had handed it to me with a prompt to think of a wish before we reached the shrine. I was beginning to learn he was a nice guy, even if he hid it behind a blank face.

"Don't worry, it's not classified information or anything. It's because of his possession. He's kind of unstable. It's Osamu-kun's job to watch over him. They're childhood friends, or something like that." He explained briefly, pulling his headphone off his ears to sling around his neck, one of his hands shutting off his MP3. "You don't have to worry about it. Takashi-kun is a good person, so he won't do anything bad. The elders just think it would be best to have someone watch him." He rolled his eyes in a brief display of emotions, showing his annoyance with such a thought.

There it was with the 'possession' thing again. What the hell was it? "If you don't mind, can you tell me what possess–?" I began before I was cut off at the arrival of Osamu and Takashi, the latter who was clinging to the other like he was his life line, with a kicked-puppy look on his face. I winced at the look, feeling my heart pull in my chest. I usually wasn't weak against that look, but on his face, it made me want to get him something sweet to eat just to get him to smile that oversized grin again.

"Sorry, Midori-chan." Takashi started, "I hope I didn't scare you. People tend to avoid me afterwards…, so…, um…," I couldn't see his eyes properly, but it was obvious that he was about to cry by the way his grip tightened on his friend and how his voice became thick and waterlogged.

"A-Ah! Don't worry about it! I'm not scared or anything, I was just caught off guard!" My hands waving to and fro, I offered him a friendly smile. "Truthfully, I've had moments like that, too, so it's fine." Like with Conan as Jester and KID as Jester… now that I think about it, I tend to burst into laughter as Jester. _Hm…_

He brightened and I relaxed as we finally reached the shrine. "I'm glad~! I thought Mi-tan was going to hate me~!" Takashi said, a smile beginning to stretch at his cheeks once more.

"Let's make our wishes, then how about some ramen?" Osamu offered, already tossing his coin into the offering box. We all nodded in agreement, offering our coins as well before chiming the bell, clapping our hands together and making our wishes.

_I'd like this year to be filled with happiness._

ooOOoo

In the end, we ended up stopping at a local Burger Shop and eating there instead after visiting the shrine, then heading back to the hotel, where Osamu received the _Pari Passu_ with a nod of thanks. We'd said our goodbyes – Osamu with a another fake smile, Takashi with a big bear hug, and Yuuto with a brief nod before telling me I could keep the clothing, since it was apparently his, which would explain why it was kind of baggy. Turns out that lady in the okami fox mask was his attendant, or something.

And in the end, I once again never figured out what 'possession' was, but it had long slipped my mind once I returned home, where Kaito and Aoko were already back from their trip and we spent the rest of the day together.

And that concluded my new year's day and before I knew it, time was flying once again, days once again blurring together into a haze of normalcy.

ooOOoo

"And so, the class ended up filled with pink paint, I heard!" Erise giggled, relaying to me one of Kaito's latest pranks to his class, which had circulated throughout the whole school. I chuckled, taking a swig of my hot chocolate, resting my cheek in my palm as I listened to her tell me about her week.

"By the way, have you solved any cases lately, Midori-chan?" She asked after a small bout of silence when she'd taken a drink from her pink lemonade.

"Nope. It's been pretty peaceful lately~!" I grinned, relaxing into my seat. She'd completely overlooked the whole two-name incident and I knew she wouldn't be bringing it up anytime soon, even if I knew she didn't believe in me one hundred percent. That was one of the great things about Erise. We'd completely and utterly returned to our old routine.

"That's good." She smiled, sky eyes glittering. "So, how was your week?"

"It was good~! Lately, we've been working on individual projects, so I've been having an easy time finishing the essays and book reports on time. Actually, I read a book the other day about…"

ooOOoo

I yawned, my eyes drifting closed as I stared at the characters staring back at me from my history book. Conan was also slumped over in front of me, probably more bored than tired, considering he'd probably already learned this stuff. I hadn't learned it, but that didn't make history any more interesting than it was back in the US.

One of my classmate's voices was lulling me to sleep, "–first attempts by the Imperial government to form an organized army modeled after the Chinese system. It was called "Gundan-Sei" by later historians and is believed to have been short-lived…"

Just as my eyes were beginning to slide shut, our current teacher's voice, Totani-sensei, cut through my sleepiness. "Can you start up on the next paragraph, Koizumi-san?" I jolted, hastily grabbing my book, finding the paragraph, and standing up.

"Uh, y-yes." I took a breath to compose myself and blink the sleep out of my eyes, ignoring Conan's small smirk directed at me, making a mental note to bug him later on at lunch.

"The Taihō Code classified most of the Imperial bureaucrats into 12 ranks, each divided…"

ooOOoo

"_What?!_" I yelped, slamming my palms onto the tabletop of Agasa's coffee table, staring at Ayumi in disbelief. She cowered under my intense stare, blinking in confusion at my supposed wrath. "You guys met TWO-MIX and I'm only hearing about this _now_?!" I whined, sighing deeply before falling back into the couch. "What the heck, man? I thought we were friends, you guys…" I dramatically clutched at my heart before grabbing my cup from the table and taking a sip of the milk I'd gotten from the fridge earlier.

I heard someone sigh from my side and I glanced over to see Conan deadpanning at me. "Are all Americans this dramatic, or is it just you?"

I gave him a smirk-ish grin, "There are probably people more flamboyant than me and probably 'normal' people, too. I'm just doing this specially to get on your nerves, see~?" I laughed, seeing his lips pull down in distaste. Seeming to finally deem me no longer angry, Ayumi spoke up.

"We are friends, Koizumi-san." She protested my previous statements and Mitsuhiko picked up her next sentence, "And you never asked about it until now, so…,"

I rose my hand in defeat. "Alright, you win. But, seriously, where was I when this happened?" I had wanted to see Conan in a dress. That would've made my life complete! Can you imagine, Conan in a dress in real-life while I got full-teasing purposes?! One word: heaven~!

"I think you told us that you already had plans." Mitsuhiko said, hand under his chin as he looked up in thought. I blinked, thinking back tolast weekend, when I had told Genta over the phone that I wouldn't be able to make it, since I had made plans with Erise previously.

I shrugged. "Oh well. Want to play Old Maid again?" I questioned, sneaking a grin at Genta, who was nodded his head in determination. "Yeah! I'll definitely win this time, Koizumi!" He cheered loudly, gathering the cards together.

"I'm not too sure~" I hummed, "I even beat Edogawa-kun at this game." My eyes met cerulean ones. "Several. Times." I flaunted, watching as his eyes narrowed in some irritation, glad that he couldn't give me those questioning side glances that he'd been giving me for a while now that we were actively interacting with each other.

"It's just dumb luck." He retorted.

I laughed, "Whatever you say, sore loser~!"

ooOOoo

It was nearing the end of January when I got a call from Heiji when I was arranging things in The Den. Oddly enough, I didn't see a sign of that black diamond ring I'd accidently stolen before, but I shrugged it off as misplacing it somewhere. It wouldn't be the first time I lost something carelessly, far from it, in fact. I flinched as Zero to Hero, from the Hercules Disney movie (they had it here, too), rang throughout the room. Giving a small chuckle, I picked up the phone, smiling in amusement at the ringtone I'd recently chosen for the Osakan detective.

"What's up, Heiji-han~?" I answered, feeling a bit odd using an Osakan honorific while in Alice's form. I perched onto the chair behind my desk, deciding to take a break while chatting. Glancing to the clock, I realized that I should probably head home soon, anyway.

"_Hey, Midori-han~! It's been a while, huh?_" I blinked, immediately catching an odd tone in Heiji's voice that normally wasn't there when we were chatting. It sounded like a cross between excited and serious – an weird combination in an situation.

"Yeah, it has been…" I trailed uncertainly, my brows furring, "So, what do you need?"

"_Need?_" He laughed, "_How can ya tell I need something? You're not a psychic or anything, are ya?_" He joked.

"If I was, I wouldn't be asking you that, now would I~?" I hummed, shifting in my chair, "So, what is it? I actually need to head home soon and my caretaker doesn't know I know you." If he did, he'd probably freak out and then try to subtly tell me to stop hanging out with you, in small but various ways. That sounded about right, I mused, snickering to myself.

"_Ya got a babysitter?_" Heiji chortled, obviously amused at my situation, but he cut me off before I could say anything back. "_Anyways, I was wondering if ya want to work on a case with me! It's probably just a regular burglary or something, but my dad and I are heading over to Tokyo soon! I even called Kudou in! It'll be fun!_"

Pausing in my thoughts, I tried to think of a viable way to get out of this, knowing that there would inevitably be a murder case showing up. It was probably one I knew, too, but this wasn't sounding too familiar at the moment. "Isn't that pretty cold, Heiji-han, to say that someone getting robbed will be 'fun'~?" I joked lightly, not finding a good escape route.

He laughed again. "Come with us and you'll see! I think you'll like robbery better than murder, anyway." He commented and I snickered at how close to the truth he was, yet slightly out of context. He was right – I _did_ prefer stealing things than solving murder cases.

"…fine. When are you getting here?" Sighing, I readied myself for a tiring day in the future.

"_Tomorrow!" _

"Wow, thanks for the advance notice." The dry sarcasm in my voice was easily detected.

"_No problem!_" I rolled my eyes with a huff of laughter at Heiji's quip, "So I'll see you, then, right?"

My brow twitched. "Yup, I'll see you tomorrow. Give me a call when you arrive, so that I can go meet up with you."

"'_Kay! See ya~!"_

With that, the phone call ended and I shut my phone with a weary smirk. Looks like I better prepare for a murder case tomorrow, I noted, getting off the chair and heading out of The Den. Walking through the forest, I still couldn't help but be a bit bothered, though. Heiji would have been able to have his 'fun' with just Shinichi there, so why had he bothered to call me, as well? I guess it could've been his 'the more the merrier' mindset, but that didn't feel quite right.

With an unsettled feeling, I headed back home.

**Review Replies: **

**To: MiniMiao – Thank you! I'm glad you liked it, and it's cliffhanger! 8D (Laughs) Me neither. She's just the kind of person who works on a whim, though, so I decided to have her act somewhat recklessly (since that's in her nature). Ahh, I see. XD Yeah, it had just finished when I wrote that reply, lol! I love Kyoukai no Kanata~! It was really good! I was so glad that she was still alive at the end. I was like, "noo, she can't be dead, that's too depressing!". XDD (Laughs) That's okay! I like getting long replies and replying just as long, myself. XD It makes me connect with my readers and that makes me happy – though, it does look really big and blocky at the end of every chapter, but whatever. (Shrugs) XD Yeah, she was, huh? But that's Akako for you, I guess. XD Yup! Conan is slowly yet surely piecing everything together, but he's a person who likes to gather all the evidence and put everything together before he accuses anyone. XD **

**To: Kid Next Door – Thank you, I'm glad you like it! It makes me happy to know that the last chapter was pleasing! 8DD (Laughs) Conan would have himself a rollercoaster ride with bother thieves. XD Both their expressions would be priceless! XD I look forward to writing their reactions when that time comes! Here's the update and thank you! ^^ I've actually read your story as well and look forward to reading more! At the time, I was too lazy to login and review and favorite and such, but since I'm on now, I'll do so. XD **

**To: kittyfinatic515 – No problem! ^^ And here's another chapter before March! XD I ended up finishing it before then, surprisingly. I still have some things to do, though, so the next chapter may be updated in March. Maybe not, though – depends. XD Thank you!**

**To: Iriss-sama – (Stumbles back with a laugh at the force of the jump hug) Ah, that sucks. . Without my mail telling me everything that updates, I'd be lost, since I legit rarely check my profile page, lol. I'm glad you got it as a late Christmas present! 8D (Laughs) Yeah, she does! Since she keeps doing things so recklessly, she'll eventually end up with a lot of problems, lol. Don't worry, it's alright! 8D Short reviews are just as great as long reviews! And sure, I'll tell you if I watch it! ^^ I actually think I'll try it out sometime soon, since I just watched Btooom! and now don't know what to do, except read the manga for it (which I've already started, but I haven't caught up yet). Thank you for the luck, Ri-chan! 8DD (Gathers Luck) **

**To: Sora Maro – (Laughs) Thank you! I'm glad you think so! o^^o **

**To: DDmasters – Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! 8DD And he may… (Grins) **

**Note(s):**

_**Okami fox**_**: it literally means something like "wolf fox", so, yeah. I can't find a wiki page for it, so I can't give you much information of it, but you can look up an okami fox mask and it will give you how it looks in general. **

_**Takashi's honorifics**_**: Some honorifics have baby talk versions—mispronunciations stereotypically associated with small children and cuteness. The baby talk version of sama is chama (****ちゃま****), for example, and in fact chan was a baby talk version of san that eventually became an ordinary honorific. There are even baby talk versions of baby talk versions. Chan can be changed to tan (****たん****), and less often, chama (****ちゃま****) to tama (****たま****). As you can see, Takashi uses the baby talk versions of baby talk versions to refer to people , giving way to his general personality. The question asking is also a somewhat adult version of a toddlers' constant "whys". **

_**Shrine visits and watching the sunrise**_**: Celebrating the new year in Japan also means paying special attention to the first time something is done in the new year. Hatsuhinode (****初日の出****) is the first sunrise of the year. Before sunrise on January 1, people often drive to the coast or climb a mountain so that they can see the first sunrise of the new year. Hatsumōde is the first trip to a shrine or temple. Many people visit a shrine after midnight on December 31 or sometime during the day on January 1. If the weather is good, people often dress up or wear kimono. There are also other things, like the first calligraphy of the year and other things, but I won't go into too much detail about that, since that wasn't mentioned. XD **

_**Miso-nikomi udon**_**: hard udon simmered in red miso soup. The soup generally contains chicken, a floating cracked raw egg that is stirred in by the eater, kamaboko, vegetables and tubers. The noodles are extremely firm in order to stand up to the prolonged simmering in the soup; additionally, the noodles do not contain salt, so as to avoid over-salting from the salt in the miso.**

_**History lesson**_**: The history lesson that takes place in this chapter was taken from the "samurai" Wikipedia page and is completely irrelevant to the plot. Also, I'm **_**pretty **_**sure you don't learn about samurais in first grade, but let's put that aside for now, lol. **

**-Thanks for reading this chapter! It was pretty much filler, but a case is in the next chapter, so I hope to get that one out soon..ish. (Laughs) Don't expect anything really soon, though. XD See you next time! **

"**Next Conan's Hint: Great Detective of the West!"**


	56. Mysterious Masked Murder (Part 1)

**A/N: Also known as the "Distinguished Family's Consecutive Accidental Death Case", but that was too freakin' long to put as the chapter name, so I went with the English name. XDD Sorry for the long wait on this one – the next update should be sooner! Hope you enjoy! ^^ Also, I'd like to know – do you guys want me to start putting the episode number of the case the chapters on in the beginning note? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. **

Chapter Fifty Six

"Oi, Midori-han! There ya are!"

My eyes, which had been glued to gigantic mansion in front of me, dragged over to the familiar voice, my mouth still gaping in awe. Heiji was standing near the entrance of the large gate that was protecting that almost-castle, waving his arm in the air to gain my attention. With one more glance to the house I now knew I was about to enter, I began to head over to the dark-skinned Osakan, forcing my mouth shut as I forced my eyes to go back to their regular size.

"Uh, hey, H-Heiji-han." I greeted awkwardly, my hands deep in the pockets of my plaid shorts. Despite it nearing the end of January, it was still decently cold, so I had coupled it with a pair of star designed leggings to go underneath, so that my legs didn't freeze off or anything. "This is an…," I trailed for the right word. "–extravagant place." Not quite the word I'd been looking for, but whatever. It worked.

He let out a loud laugh, giving me a pat on the back that had me stumbling forward a bit as I reached his side. "Isn't it? My old man sure knows some interesting people!" With a chuckle, he began to direct me inside the building, where we then proceeded to follow a butler into the large estate. Lush green grass was everywhere as we followed him through the yard – if it could be called that; it was more like a field – and finally through large doors into the building.

"Wow, that's a lot of police…," I muttered under my breath, tensing and feeling my skin begin to crawl uncomfortably in the close proximity of so many people morally lawful. Police officers were practically in every corner of the grandiose mansion, hanging around chatting with each other about different things. I spotted a familiar face within the crowd, a quite intimidating one, just as Heiji slung an arm around my neck, pulling me closer in an almost-chokehold. He grinned in my face, "Makes you kind of nervous, doesn't it?"

I blinked in a bit of confusion, offering an awkward smile back, put off by the sudden physical contact, my hand grasping his forearm that was looped around my neck on instinct. "What does?" I chuckled, not quite getting where he was going with this conversation. I relaxed a bit as he loosened his hold a bit. "Nothing." His smile bothered me – it reminded me too much of my own. "Anyway, I'll have 'ta introduce you to my dad later, since he's busy." He said, beginning to head in the opposite direction of the group of officers to a different room.

"Ah, okay…,"

My eyes wandered around the household as he led, putting my blind trust in him making sure I didn't run into a wall of something. It wasn't my type of place, but it certainly was impressive, with ceilings far overhead, with chandeliers and fancy paintings lining the hallways. Truthfully, I think I preferred the Koizumi mansion over this one. I paused in my thoughts before snorting to myself. Maybe I've finally lost my beans, if I'm favoring that creepy estate over this one. Though, it didn't actually creep me out anymore, so…

I snapped back to attention as we entered, what appeared to be, some kind of den. The room's color was mostly differing shades of brown, from the shining wooden flooring to the shelves carved into the walls, and there were luxurious-looking couches in the middle of the room with a coffee table in between them, on top of a white rug. The room was completely empty, save books and magazines stacked neatly on the table and the various trinkets on the shelves.

"They said we could wait here while waiting for Kudou." He grinned, releasing me to take a seat on one of the couches and I followed his lead, collapsing on the one closest to me with a grin, feeling more at ease now that the police officers now were effectively cut off from me with a door.

"About Kudou – you invited his whole entourage, right?" I questioned with a snicker, grabbing a magazine and beginning to flip through it absently. My mind was focused on the question, though, since it was a matter of having to face Conan again after the whole 'I'm-not-Midori-but-actually-Jester-in-disguise' mishap. I'd dodged a bullet there, but had probably only made a few more problems for myself.

Like, despite not being Midori (apparently) and having no idea what he was talking about – what 'poison', right? – and being Jester in disguise and that's why 'Midori' kept 'flirting' with him, how come Jester knew some Koizumi's? Because, apparently, she was distantly related to them…but I'd revealed that information _before_ I had told him I was Jester, so that would mean that I had still been 'playing' Midori's character and giving away information like that would have to be spot-on on the 'actual' Midori's family history. But, despite saying that _Midori_ was distantly related to the Koizumi's, who are inevitably related to Koizumi _Alice_, it was pretty evident that Ayala and Noboru were consciously helping out _Jester_ because of the small conversations held between us all and the fact that if a little kid passed out in someone's shop while other people were there, there would have been a commotion unless said other people knew that their 'customer' was the one who put him to sleep.

So, in short, I'd accidently connected all three of my identities with the surname 'Koizumi'.

Thinking about it made me want to shove my head into the nearest wall and never stop until I passed out or gave myself brain damage.

Heiji answered, though, stopping my internal groans of distress. "Yup! All three are probably on their way here right now!" He smiled joyfully, his foot starting to tap the ground in a fidgety type of excitement. I held in a fond laugh, mentally thinking that his actions reminded me of a puppy waiting for its owner to come back home. I closed the magazine filled with clothes models and dropped it back into its pile in favor of crossing my legs and leaning back into the plush cushions of the couch.

"Probably?" I laughed, my hands fiddling with the edges of my shorts as I raised a brow at him. "You're not sure?"

"I had my old man recommend Mouri-han to the owner of this house, so I'm not exactly sure when he's going to get here. He doesn't actually know we're here yet!" He grinned, looking thoroughly pleased with his plan to screw one over on the detective of the east by randomly popping up. I grinned back, amused at his idea as I scoured my mind for today's case. Rich house, Heiji and his dad, robbery…

I brightened as it came to me in a flash of knowledge. That case with the guy getting impaled on the fence! I could remember this case clearly in my mind, as well as the culprit, and I felt a sense of accomplishment settle in my chest. At least I knew what to expect today. It's much better than being caught unaware and messing something up – or getting attacked myself, like in the Holmes case. The space below my shoulder on my arm ached slightly at the reminder of the faint scar that I'd earned that day. Shifting with a grimace, I shook away the feeling.

Yeah, no thanks.

I blinked as a warm palm came in contact with my forehead, pushing up under my bangs. I flinched at Heiji's face as it came into view, closer than I remembered, mouth curled into a rare frown. "You alright? You suddenly went pale…,"

Snorting in amusement, I brushed his hand away carelessly with a grin. "I'm fine – just thinking~!" He pulled away with a raised brow, his mouth smoothing out of the concerned frown it had been. He retreated to his couch, taking a seat on it again. I was quick to switch the subject. "So, about today's case – what's it _really _about? You only told me it's _probably_ a regular burglary case or something."

"Ah, that? The truth is that the chairman said he heard a strange noise last night. Ah, the chairman is the person who owns this place, by the way." He quickly tacked on, realizing that I didn't know anybody here and had just been shown to this room by him when I arrived. "Anyway, he said it was the sound of someone running around quietly in the hallway in the middle of night, and the sound of objects colliding over and over again. It's probably a burglar casing the place, so we increased security and came over here." He explained with a quirk of a smile on his face.

I hummed, nodding in thought and carefully didn't voice my thoughts on their increased security. It seemed a bit _much_, if they thought it was just a thief checking out the place, if you ask me. This chairman dude must have been a helluva important person. Or keeping some pretty important things, I mused and my eyes flicked up to the ceiling, narrowing the slightest as I bit my lip in thought. Perhaps there was a private gem collection here. I'd have to check the place out.

"So, Midori-han." I snapped to attention at the serious note in his voice and I looked down to see him giving me an equally serious stare, almost overpowered by the curious sparkle in it. Shoot, I knew I shouldn't have come.

I offered a small, thin, smile as my hands tangled nervously into each other, which didn't go by unnoticed by the detective in the room. Curse nervous habits. "Yeah?"

"There's actually a reason I called you over. There's something I want to discuss with you." He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, eyes searching my, without a doubt, wide and panicked ones. _Damn it_. I think I was starting to understand why Ayala hates detectives, except this was for a slightly different reason. And there wasn't any way for me to completely despise them, either – I was too soft. Without much choice, I let him go on.

"I did some research and…the results were a bit…_odd_." He stated and he said it in such a way that had my brows furring together in confusion. "Ya see, Midori-han, it's like ya don't even exist."

…_Huh_?

"Err…," What the heck am I supposed to say to that? "…I assure you, I _do_ exist." I felt like laughing, but that would make the situation even more awkward. His green-blue eyes were staring at me like I was an interesting specimen, but it wasn't cold like a scientist's, but rather just insanely curious. I swear, sometimes people are more curious than they should be. He let out a small laugh at my unsure quip, though, and I relaxed the slightest. It was much better being interrogated by Heiji than by Conan. Heaven knows that Shinichi scares that crap out of me while in 'detective-mode'.

"I don't mean ta' say that you don't exist, but it's _like_ you don't. You were obviously involved in, at least, three cases – the one where we met, the one with your friend, and the one you mentioned happened where you met Kudou. But, you don't have any police records and everyone who gets involved in a case _has_ to have a file on them, in case they need to be contacted at a later time. Yours doesn't exist, though. It's like 'Watanabe Midori' doesn't exist." His eyes narrowed a bit, "And it's impossible for everyone to simply forget you were ever there."

I opened my mouth to retort – why the hell had he been looking for my police files? – but he cut me off to continue his deduction. "Not to mention the fact that you don't have a birth certificate. When a baby is born, the city where they were born keeps their file on hand. You said you were born in Osaka, and if you had been, the most likely place you would've lived would've been Hirakata-shi, since that's where I came across you just after you had been shrunken. But there was no file on someone named 'Watanabe Midori' that was around your age with the same features. You could've been lying about your age, but I really doubt that you were, since there wasn't any hesitation when you corrected me the first time we met and there was no real reason for you to lie about something as insignificant as that, unless you had planned to fool me from the start. That's impossible, though, since you shouldn't have known I was going to the Holmes case, so that leads me to another dead end."

He kind of sounded like he was ranting now and my heart just kept getting higher and higher in my throat – I feel like hiding under a rock! "I also checked the cities around Hirakata-shi and there was nothing. Another strange thing I noted was the lack of remembrance of your impromptu meeting with the paramedics and officers after you were shrunken. When I mentioned it to Otaki-han the other day, he couldn't recall you at all and when I went to check the officials that supposedly took you in to find you a new place to stay, they couldn't remember you, either. Once again, you had no file."

Despite my current anxiety attack I was having that was sweeping away all the air from my lungs, I couldn't help but be a bit confused myself. I know I had met with the police on several occasions, in both forms, so the lack of files and memories was _strange_. I could clearly remember being interviewed for cases and running away from that lady in heels and yet they somehow couldn't recall me? It sent a wicked chill down my spine and Heiji just continued on, as if he wasn't unraveling my life by its fragile seams. Note to self: avoid Hattori Heiji while Jester. He'd inevitably throw that identity down the proverbial rabbit-hole, as well, since he seemed to be doing a great job at that so far.

"It would make sense if you had simply told me a false name and that's why I couldn't find your birth records, but I know you used that name for police investigations and the officials at social services wouldn't have just disregarded you so much that they wouldn't even have your file. It's like they were erased or…brainwashed, or _something_." He sounded a bit frustrated and let out a small groan/sigh as he ruffled his hair with a hand, making it stick up in ever which direction.

He offered me a helpless smile. "As much as it kills me to say this, Midori-han, I can't figure out anything. The only thing I can decide is that, in theory, you're a runaway who hides her paper trail like a professional assassin, who was born in a foreign country, which explains the lack of birth records." I snorted at that, swallowing thickly to get rid of the rock lodged in my throat and regain my composure. He hadn't figured it out. He realized there was something horribly wrong – something I didn't understand, either; why _didn't_ I have files? – but _he hadn't figured it out_. That's _all_ that mattered.

My heart rate plummeted as did my jittery nervousness, leaving me slightly dizzy, and I felt myself give a shaky sigh, trembling fingers releasing the tight grip they'd had on each other, nail indents on the back of my hands, red from the abuse. Oops.

I mustered up a faint smirk-ish grin, brows pulling up as if in apology – a silent apology that wasn't sincere in the least. Sorry, Heiji – I'm not giving you this one. My proverbial mask felt like it snapped right back into place and my usual over-dramatics came back in the blink of an eye, false confidence overflowing. The grin pulled wider, probably more, in a certain sense, 'unpleasant' – shit-eating, that's what it felt like. My gosh, I feel like Orihara Izaya, leaning back to rest my elbows on the back of the couch and tilt my head to look at him in a provoking way.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Heiji-han, but that can't be further from the truth. I'm not an assassin and I'm not a runaway, either~! Though, you were right about being born in a foreign country~" I snickered, amused, "In fact, that's all I'll give you. It's a mystery you have to solve by yourself, otherwise there's no meaning~!" I felt kind of bad, but the last time I told the truth, I was brushed off and it, truthfully, had hurt a bit.

He grinned, serious demeanor vanished like it had never been there – something that was so likable about Heiji. "That's what I plan to do, Midori-han!" He let out a laugh, "I'll figure ya out _way_ before Kudou, you'll see!" I held in a laugh – way before Kudou? Was this some private competition only one person knew existed? Still, it was odd that he hadn't decided to take this to the police. He probably trusted me, then. Plus, he had no complete proof, either.

I blinked, turning to the door as it opened, revealing the intimidating Hattori Heizo. I quickly stood and bowed in greeting. "Ah, er, I'm Watanabe Midori. It's nice to meet you, sir." I stared at his shoes for a while before straightening and offering friendly grin, hand twitching as I held back my handshake that I felt compelled to do. Stupid foreign blood…

Heiji laughed at my politeness, "'Sup, dad? Are the others here?" He brightened at the last question and I had to be impressed with him not being intimidated at _all_ by his father. Though Heizo didn't tower over me as much as Spider did – the arachnid freak was freakishly tall –, there was still the feeling of being small next to him. It probably had something to do with his overwhelming presence. Then again, if Heiji was afraid of his dad, I think that'd be even stranger, considering that Heiji really didn't care about what others thought of him.

His dad continued to stare at us through squinted, glaring, eyes before he nodded, beckoning us along from the room with a hand. "They're in the chairman's room right now." Heiji let out a small cheer, quickly following after and I couldn't do much but follow after, feeling a bit of whiplash from going from a serious situation to one of casual case solving.

I laughed silently to myself behind the two. I don't think I'd ever get used to this.

ooOOoo

I, for one, hadn't taken Hattori Heizo for the dramatic type of person – but as we waited outside the room for a while, waiting, I had the feeling that he hadn't just entered the room conveniently on time in the episode, rather had planned it out. Maybe he just didn't want to randomly barge in?

"Anyway, who's the old friend that recommended me?" Kogoro's voice was slightly muffled since the door was closed, but the exasperation in his gruff voice was very apparent. My grin threatened to split my face in half when Heiji's dad began to open the door before the sentence was even fully completed. Perfect timing.

He strode into the room, back as straight as his face – the man had the pokerface of _Kaitou KID_, I swear. How could he not be laughing at his dramatics?! "It's me." He announced deeply and Heiji and I waited patiently as he stayed in the doorframe, awaiting our own cues, apparently. Both of us were giving each other goofy smiles, looking forward to Conan's reactions. He had the best expressions when it came to things like this~!

Kogoro's voice sounded again, "Who are you?"

An unfamiliar voice answered in Heizo's stead and I took a shot in the dark, guessing it was most likely the important chairman everyone was doting on. The voice of a man that would be missing any precious gems I might find in this place. My grin sharpened the slightest. "He's the old friend I was talking about. He's the Osaka Prefecture Police Headquarters Chief, Hattori Heizo-kun." If that wasn't the most impressive introduction ever, I didn't know what was.

I heard Ran give a small gasp and Kogoro splutter in shock. "O-Osaka Prefecture Police Headquarters Chief?!" Ran's splutter came right after, "It's the man who comes on TV whenever there's a big case in Osaka!"

And, on cue, after impressing everyone with his father, Heiji popped up from over Heizo's shoulder, lifting a hand in greeting, a cheery smile on his face. "Yo, Kudou! How've you been?" There was another small commotion and I swear I heard Ran give a small yelp of surprise, but Kogoro was once again the one who spluttered out his title, "H-Hattori Heiji?!"

"What does he mean by 'Kudou'…?" Ran muttered in confusion and despite not being able to see Conan's face, I knew it was probably hilariously pale. I know the feeling, bud. I couldn't help releasing an amused snort, however, when Conan's voice let out a serious of shouts – the dude seriously doesn't know how to play it safe, did he? Well, not like I did, either, but I didn't start randomly yelling. People would probably think I was crazy if I did that.

I heard Conan's sneakers grow closer and I spotted the edges of them in front of Heiji as he bent down slightly, hands in his pockets, to hear what Shinichi wanted to say. He was only greeted with a furious '_shhh!_', though, and that's all he needed to know. "What? They _still_ don't know?" Heiji made it sound like that was ludicrous and impossible, voice hushed. Which, with how bad Shinichi was at lying, it wasn't too far-fetched, yet he somehow managed.

At Conan's quiet hiss of, "Of course not, _ba'arou_!", Ran decided to ask her inevitable question. "Hey, you just said Kudou…does that mean…?"

Despite not liking to dash Ran's hopes, I took that as my cue to step in, peeking over the edge of Heiji's shoulder much like he had with his father, except my smile was replaced with a full-blown Cheshire grin and instead of my hand up in greeting, my pointer finger was the only one sticking out in a mater-of-a-fact way. "Ah, that? He meant to say '*kurou'! You know, like, thanks for taking the trouble to come out here~! He's got a bit of a slippery mouth." In a completely different way than I was insinuated and I think Heiji knew, since he sent me a sheepish look, rubbing the back of head.

At my unexpected entrance, there was once again a burst of noise. "M-Midori-chan!" Ran gasped, looking thoroughly surprised, her previous question flying right out of her mind. Out of sight, out of mind. Distractions were beautiful like that~! Glancing at Conan's face, his eyes were wide with shock and his mouth was dropped open a bit. Pftt~ his _face_. I wanted to say something, but refrained.

"The _other_ Osakan brat is here, too?" Kogoro grumbled, sounding incredulous and I was amused by his lack of creativity, since I knew he called Heiji 'the brat from Osaka' or 'Osakan brat' – I guess I was just 'the other brat from Osaka' or 'other Osakan brat' from now on. I stifled a laugh, my fingers uncurling to give them all a friendly, nonchalant, wave. "What's up~? Haven't seen you guys in a while, eh?"

Ran face brightened and we both closed the distance between us, so that we were at a reasonable conversation distance and I was no longer blocking entrance to the room. Heiji and the recovered Conan headed further into the room as well, so as to not block the door, and Heizo had already moved closer into the room when I hadn't been noticing – he apparently also had secret ninja skills. An image of stoic Hattori Heizo in a ninja outfit appeared in my brain unbidden and I quickly brought my hand to my mouth to bite the fabric of my sleeve, which was sagging around over my hand since it was a bit too big, to smother my laughter.

Ran gave a small giggle, lavender-ish eyes sparkling and somewhat popping out with the burgundy and creamy white color of her dress. "It has been a while. I see you're still as lively as ever." She gave her angel smile, the one that was completely genuine, eyes closing for a brief moment and long lashes brushed her cheeks before her eyes opened once more. "Your cat isn't with you this time around?" Her eyes were on my shoulder in a searching look, no doubt looking for my brat of a cat perched on my shoulder like he owned the world.

"Nope, not this time." I chuckled, "I thought it would be rude to bring an animal to a stranger's house." I explained, ignoring with great bemusement Heiji's murmur of 'thank goodness for that' with a brooding look on his face, rubbing his hand absently. Did I accidently make him slightly felinophobic, perhaps? The thought was amusing to think about. Hattori Heiji – afraid of interacting with cats, with a secret ninja as a father. _Pftt…_

My deviant thoughts that kept warping my images of the Hattori family were cut off when two more people entered the room, an opened face brunette in a lavender shirt and a women with wavy hair pulled away from her scowling face, wearing a maroon dress underneath a pale blue sweater resting over her shoulders (which was interesting color coordination, but then again, I _was _the one wearing star-printed leggings). "Ara, you have guests, father." The one in the lavender shirt commented as they entered, a smile lighting her face. Smiley, it is, then.

"Well, well, it's not only _guests_…," Scowly drawled, her eyes resting on another girl in the room that I had failed to acknowledge before, one with short light brown hair. "…but that sly female fox is here, too." Scowly crossed her arms in displeasure as the lighter haired brunette turned to blink up at her from where she'd been paying attention to whatever was written on the papers she was holding. Despite looking kind of fragile, I knew exactly the role she played in this case. But we'll call her Green Suit, since her whole outfit consisted of differing versions of the color, all the way from her jacket to her pumps.

"I hear you've been staying overnight these past few days. What are you planning, exactly?" She accused, lip upturning and the air in the room grew kind of tense at the sudden confrontation. Geez, didn't this women have any sense of politeness? There were guests here, yet she still called Green Suit out on this type of thing when she could just do it at a later time that would be politer to the company in her presence. It was pretty obvious to tell that she was a spoiled rich kid who thought she owned the world.

Smiley frowned slightly, turning to give her a placating look, "Now, now, onee-sama…,"

The chairman, a plump man who had a Mario mustache, gave her a hard stare from his bed. "Nobuko, as you can see, I can't move around. She comes to report the company's business status."

Giving a snide smile, Scowly lifted her nose in the air with a look of smug satisfaction, like she'd just caught them red-handed or something. I could already tell that I didn't like her very much. Her personality was a bit…well, ya know. "A fax machine is sufficient enough for _that_."

The chairman heaved a long sigh, probably used to this verbal abuse from his daughter, slumping as he gave up trying to make her see his view of things. It was easy to tell this probably happened a lot with them. "Well, there are many other things…,"

Ignoring her father's words, she turned to look at where Kogoro, Heiji, and Heizo were standing together. "Who might you gentlemen be?" Was that a flirty tone or is that just my imagination? It didn't help that she was completely disregarding Ran and I's existence. I was pleasantly pleased to see the guy's didn't like her attitude, either, eyes narrowed the slightest and Kogoro didn't even bother hiding his glare as he replied, "I'm a detective."

That seemed to shock both Scowly and Smiley as they blinked with wide eyes. "A-A detective?" With a hand over her mouth, Smiley continued, "Why would such a person be here?"

Green Suit looked down at the papers she was holding. "The chairman has called on him to find his first love…," She started to explained and while Smiley looked at her, waiting for the rest of her answer, the look on Scowly's face grew unpleasant once more and she walked past her sister, then with a swiftness that made everyone in the room flinch, the sound of flesh hitting flesh sounded throughout the room, Green Suit's papers flying into the air as she toppled over by the force, catching herself on the chairman's bed.

"I wasn't asking _you_!" The older sister of the chairman's family shouted at poor Green Suit, who was holding her reddened cheek in pain as the chairman let out a startled, "Oi, oi…," Wow, some parenting. That's all he had to say when his daughter slaps some poor person in front of company? And while everyone looked startled at her behavior, all I could do was narrow my gaze in distaste – she has a _bad_ personality.

My point was proven even further as the witch went on as Green Suit grabbed a pen from the chairman's lap in a hurry, clutching it close like a lifeline, forgetting the pain in her cheek. "You _still_ have that dirty fountain pen? I don't care if it's a memento of your father or not, but it gives me the creeps." She sneered, looking down at the women with eyes glazed over with unshed tears. My heart ached for her despite knowing her role and I couldn't help but speak up, because I have a big mouth, successfully cutting into the script.

"I'm not sure if you're aware–" I began in a lilting, carefree tone with a shark's grin and condescending eyes focused on her, conveying my true emotions. She glanced over to me with a raised brow with her own condescending look. " –but slapping someone is considered _assault_." I gave a side look to Heizo, who was still as straight faced as ever. I ignored Ran's concerned look directed towards me – I was going to speak my mind if it killed me! "And considering that this man is the chief of police in Osaka and that there's two other detectives in this room, it would probably be best to leave before we decide that being the chairman's daughter isn't enough to get you out of trouble. In fact, I may think of pressing charges myself~" I hummed, getting a kick out of her face as she took in my words, face draining of color and her eyes widening a bit despite keeping her glare.

"Hmph. As if a child like you would know anything about laws." She sniffed, once again turning her nose to the air as she crossed her arms again. Ohhh, I know a lot more than you do, you–!

Before I could say anything, though, Heiji backed me up. "She's actually right. Slapping someone, no matter the reason, is considered assault and battery. You could very well be arrested for it." He said it with a serious enough face for her to take him seriously, though – unlike my belittling grin. I couldn't help it! Anyone who hits someone for something other than self-defense deserved to get her own 'I'm better than you' butt served back to her/him on a silver platter.

With no reply, she frowned and huffed before heading out the door, her sister following her nervously. Heiji sent a grin my way and I rolled my eyes playfully. Yes, I know, you saved me from being called a child any further, thank you, Heiji-sama.

"Geez!" The chairman exclaimed, "I'm sorry about that, Hyuuga-kun. She still hasn't found anyone, so she's irritable." He tried to apologize, but I, personally, didn't find her reason for being irritable valid enough to slap someone. Putting her pen back into her breast pocket, she closed her eyes in resignation. "Yes, I understand." He turned his attention to us, "And I'm sorry for my daughter making such a spectacle. Sometimes, she doesn't know when to back down."

I offered a small, sheepish grin. "I'm also sorry for speaking out so suddenly like that. It was rude of me." Rude, but I had no regrets.

"No, no, it's fine. It's about time someone put her in her place." He commented with a jolly smile and I relaxed. Good, I wasn't about to get in trouble and kicked out of this house. That would've been embarrassing and degrading on so many levels. Green Suit checked her watch before announcing, "Well, I'm going back to the office."

"Wait, Hyuuga-kun. I plan to make my announcement to everyone, but if you're just pitying my son…," He trailed off.

She turned to smile at him, "I don't pity him." She assured, "It's fate that we would be together. We've been bound by the bonds of flame for a long time." With that said, she flashed another smile and walked out of the door, closing it behind her.

Conan's face was bit uneasy.

ooOOoo

"Ah, so you both we're in the same Kendo club!" Kogoro surmised, a smile on his face as he continued to listen to the past adventures of Heizo and the chairman when they were younger.

"Yes, he used to strike me with an ogre's strength back then." Heizo elaborated with a small laugh hiding behind his voice and calm face. The chairman shifted to face the chief of police, "By the way, Heizo, about that matter…,"He trailed and Heiji's dad leaned in a bit closer in seriousness. "Yes, I've had the guards check on that and–" His sentence was cut off by the click of the door and everyone's attention turned to see who it was, only to be greeted with the sight of a man covered in bandages with a beanie pulled over to cover his hair.

Despite expecting it, I still couldn't help the startled flinch. He seriously looks creepy like that, especially standing beside the door, where it looked almost like he was peeking out at you. _Creepy…_

"W-Who's that?!" Heiji yelped, turning his body towards the man, just in case he was about to be attacked or something. The chairman smiled from his bed, as if he was used to such reactions to his son. "That's my son, Hideomi."

"Huh…?"

Hideomi bowed his head politely in greeting and I _think_ he was smiling – it was hard to tell with all the bandages. "When he was in high school, his face was badly burned in an accident. He's been that way ever since. With the current state of cosmetic surgery, he could be fully healed, but he doesn't want it." He explained in a somewhat sadden tone. I could tell that it was kind of a sensitive subject for him, since he probably had wanted his son to be healed completely. If my child had been burned, I would've, too, I suppose.

A new person walked in from behind Hideomi, someone with brown curly hair and a suit. "Well, thanks to that accident, you finally found a happy end, right," The man's tone was mocking and he moved closer to pat a hand on the chairman's son's shoulder, "Hideomi~?"

The smile – well, the invisible smile – that had been on his face previously had disappeared once the new person in the room had entered and as he finished his sentence, he sent a chilling glare over his shoulder at the other, a small, threatening, noise sounding in his throat. Yikes.

Brushing Suit Man's hand off his shoulder, he quickly turned and stormed out of the room silently, obviously confusing Suit Man, who called after him, "H-Hey! Hideomi, hang on! What are you so mad about?" A short laugh followed right after. What was with this family and people with bad personalities?

Heading further into the room, Suit Man went to the chairman's bedside, holding onto a small wrapped box. "Father, happy birthday." He offered the box to the chairman, who brightened and took it gratefully. "Oh, thank you." As he was handing the box over to the chairman, though, he suddenly leaned in close to the poor old man's face with a slimy smirk. "I would be delighted if you would give me the chairmanship in return…," Yup. Bad personality – _really_ bad personality. At the chairman's surprised gasp, Suit Man leaned out of his personal space and gave a loud laugh.

Walking away, he pleaded his 'innocence', hands waving in surrender, "I'm just kidding!" He walked out of the room at the same time Heizo looked down at his watch. "I'll be heading back to Osaka soon." He announced in his deep voice, making the chairman's brows furrow in disappointment. "Huh? Weren't you going to celebrate my birthday with us tonight?" He tacked on, "There's that other matter, as well."

"Don't worry." Heizo soothed, going up to Heiji and patting his head in that dotingly fatherly way, his face still straight (Kaitou KID, I swear…) as Heiji gave him a heat-free glare, "I'll leave him in my stead." He pushed Heiji's head forward a bit, so that he was almost in a bow. I stifled a snicker at the deadpanned look on the teenage Osakan's face as his father continued, "He's still a pup, but he has a sharp mind." Heiji was pushed a bit lower. "I'm sure him and his friend will be good helpers to Mouri-tantei." I blinked. Oh? Now I'm involved in that?

He released his son's head so that Heiji could stand up properly again and I swear I saw a hint of a smile hidden beneath his mustache before he bid his farewells, leaving.

ooOOoo

The confetti fell out of the cracker-popper-things with a symphony of loud pops, falling to litter the ground of the chairman's bedroom. It was already late, darkness engulfing the sky outside and I was getting a bit fidgeting – even wishing for things to start rolling on, despite knowing that someone was going to get killed. But, seriously, we'd been standing here, just listening to the chairman ramble about his 'days of youth' and then the small birthday party being held for him started and I still had yet to do anything fun. I really should've turned down Heiji's offer to come here…

"Congratulations, father!"

"Congratulations, master."

Whoops, had I missed him blowing out the candles? I focused on the cake on his lap and realized that, yes, I had missed it. My eyes darted to the chairman as he began to speak – again… – and I shoved my hands in the pockets of my shorts with a soundless sigh. How much longer is this…? I didn't feel like staying any longer in this place with both Scowly and Suit Man. It was hard to believe that Suit Man was married to Smiley instead of Scowly – I personally think they would be two peas in a pod – but I guess, like they say, opposites attract. Or…he'd married Smiley for the money.

"Actually, there's an announcement I wanted to make to all of you." He gave a proud, close-eyed, smile. "My son, Hideomi, and Hyuuga Miyuki-san are engaged." He extended a hand to present Green Suit to us, who was giving a small smile. Smiley, standing right across from Miyuki with the bed between them, clasped her hands in delight, looking like she was already planning the wedding internally. The butler standing next to Smiley also seemed happy with the turn of events, "Is that true, master?"

He nodded, "Yes, and I've had her stay over, so she can become accustomed to this house." Despite knowing that it wouldn't end prettily, I still found myself a bit happy for them. Weird emotions, I chuckled internally as Smiley commented, "Ah, so that's why~!"

My glance strayed over to Scowly, who looked like she was having an internal mental breakdown as she began to walk away from her father's bedside, looking somewhat resigned – in a brooding way. "Oh? Nobuko-ojou-sama, where are you going?" The butler questioned, also noticing her departure. She passed me by on her way out and I pointedly looked away from her angry face. If there was anything I didn't want, it was to feel bad about her (even slightly), since then I would regret my earlier actions towards her. Yeah, no thanks.

Suit Man stepped closer to the butler with another one of his slimy smiles. "Leave her alone. After all, she's the only single left." The door shut with a little more force than necessary at his comment.

"By the way, I don't see Hideomi around." The chairman noted after looking around the room from the bandaged man. "He's probably just shy." Suit Man concluded, "I'll go and get him." With that, he left the room as well. At least that's both unpleasant companies gone, I mused, turning my attention back to the food that had been carted in earlier by the butler.

With another sigh and glance at the clock that was ticking away too slowly, I grasped my fork and took a lethargic bite out of the slice of fruitcake on my plate.

ooOOoo

After what seemed like eternity and a week, I finally heard Conan's voice trying to whisper behind me as I sipped at some fruity drink that the butler had gotten for me after I told him to just get whatever was sweet. And it was indeed sweet~! It was like a pineapple-y heaven~!

"Oi, Hattori, hurry up and tell me what's going on." The shrunken detective of the east insisted and I smiled into my cup. He was really lucky that Ran and Kogoro were so distracted by having a conversation with Miyuki to not hear him – his whispering _sucks_.

"About what?" There was the quiet rustle of clothing and I curiously glanced over my shoulder discretely to see that Heiji had crouched down to be nearer to Conan's height.

"You must know, right? The _real_ reason we're staying over tonight. Not to mention why _she's_ here." He hissed under his breath and I rolled my eyes. Why was I referred to with such a scandalous tone? Geez, you'd think I had knocked him out or something with the way he seemed to regard my presence. I mean, I _had_, as Jester (twice, in fact), but the thought of him knowing that was so blood-chilling that I didn't even dwell on it.

Heiji let out a small, smug, laugh. "No special reason. I wanted to see both of you, so I called you guys." His tone was so damn smug that I had to hold in a laugh. It seemed like all Heiji and I lived for was to bother poor Shinichi and enjoy it! Conan let out a small growled word that I couldn't discern and I unintentionally shifted when I heard his watch click open, moving a bit further away from them. Those needles _hurt_! Heiji only laughed, though, "I'm kidding! The truth is–!"

He was cut off by the ringing of the phone, which the butler immediately set out to pick up, striding over and grasping it before it could reach its third ring. He brought the phone to his left cheek. "Hello?"

After a brief moment, he replied, turning towards the chairman. "The master's…already asleep." He informed the person on the other end as Smiley put a finger to her lips in the universal sign of 'shhh' for a brief moment. "And we're all preparing to retire for the night." He added on, glancing at all of us. I did have to admit, I was getting a bit tired, but I hadn't planned on staying here for the night at first. In fact, I still had to text poor Kaito and tell him that I would be spending the night at Akako's house, since I obviously wasn't going to be able to go home soon.

There was another pause before I jumped as a loud yell came from the other side of the phone, loud enough for the rest of us to hear throughout the whole room. The butler winced away before hurrying to put the phone to his mouth once more with panicked look, "Mi-Mitsuaki-sama!"

The phone was snatched away from the butler by Kogoro, who had dashed across the room to get to the phone. "What's the matter? Where are you now?!" He shouted. There was another pause before another loud scream ripped through the speaker. I winced at the volume, bringing a hand protectively to my ear as I placed my cup to my lips once more. It was too darn late for this.

Kogoro hurried out to the balcony through the glass doors, quickly followed by Conan and Heiji and Green Suit. Without any regard for his personal safety, I watched as Kogoro leaned over the edge of the balcony's gate, trying to see into the below room, it seemed. Placing my glass down, I couldn't help but hurry over and grab the back of his shirt in worry as he balanced over the edge precariously. It made me worry that, even though it hadn't happened in the anime/manga, he would fall over to his death.

"Hey! Are you okay?!" He shouted down, not noticing me as he and Conan, who was at his side, peering through the rails, kept looking down. "Mitsuaki-san! What's going on?!"

Everyone snapped to attention as a dark figure walked out onto the balcony, no doubt hoping it was Suit Man. The face turned towards us, wrapped in bandages, only visible from the natural lighting coming from the moon and the small light provided from the light's in the room we'd been in and we all flinched – me included – at the sight that stared back up at us. Wrapped fully in bandages and a beanie hat, the only things glimmering were the cold glaring eyes and the knife gripped between his teeth. It looked a lot scarier than the anime had drawn it and I felt a shiver go down my spine.

"Hideomi-san!"

With a swiftness that had been reeling backwards and letting go of his shirt, Kogoro twirled on his heel and ran back into the room, followed by the detective-duo, who were then quickly followed by the butler and Smiley. "We have to stop him!"

I glanced over to Green Suit, who was sinking to her knees beside me on the balcony and muttering things to herself, before heading back into the room and grabbing my juice again. I knew how this went and I didn't really feel like seeing a body impaled on a fence, thank you very much. I smirked to myself, taking another sip of pineapple-y goodness. It was about time something happened – I was about to die of boredom! Alone in the room, save for the sleeping man and Green Suit on the balcony, I whispered to myself while heading to the phone to call the police.

"And the Raining Men syndrome strikes again~"

**Review Replies: **

**To: Kid Next Door – (Laughs) Here's another chapter! I hope you like it! ^^**

**To: Iriss-sama – Ah, I hate when that happens. Usually the updating thing is quite good with giving you the mail update, but sometimes it just…sucks. (Shrugs) I think it was soon. XDD Me too~! I love talking to others in comments and such! ^^ OH, RP, huh? That sounds fun~! ^^ I'm glad you still like the chapters, filler or not! 8DD Yeah, they're pretty distinctive, since they're important later on (sorta). XDDD Thank you, I'm glad you think so! ^^ I usually feel like my characters are all really similar to each other, orz. XD Here's the next chapter~! 8DD And yup! XDD Murders always happen around Conan, lol. I have lots of plans for Midori and Erise coming up soon-ish, so look forward to that! 8DDD (Laughs) Ramblings alright! I ramble, as well. XD (Gathers Luck) Thank you, Ri-chan~! **

**To: MiniMiao – Thank you! ^^ Yeah, he tends to do that. (Nods) That way, when his moment comes to shine, he completely and utterly verbally demolishes his adversary, lol. (Poor Midori, when that time comes) Hmmm, I'm not sure why it does that, either. (Curious) (Laughs) Writing Takashi is quite fun! XDD Yup! He also gave me an excuse to put some small facts about Midori/Alice that isn't really important knowledge. XD Ahhh, me too! When I thought she died, it was like…, "What?! No!" XDD I was so relieved and glad at the very end. XDDD I've yet to watch either of those two, but I plan on watching Anohana eventually (when my heart is ready for heartbreak). XD (Eats Cyber Cookies) Thank you, MiniMiao~! ^^**

**To: kittyfinatic515 – I'm sorry for the wait! (Bows) Time flew really fast, lol. I kept saying, "I still have time" and then before I knew it, it was already almost the end of March… (Sheepish Grin) I blame the weather. XDD (shameless blaming game) But, here's the update! Hopefully the next one will be out sooner (it should be). ^^ **

**To: HitsuSesshyFan – You were right about the trap part, though it wasn't exactly a trap. XD More like a deduction laid out to be corrected, lol. I'm not saying there won't be any other traps in this case, though, so… (Shrugs innocently) XDD Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it! ^^**

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – (Laughs) I'm just psychic like that~! (Wiggles Fingers) Don't worry. XD I forgot that Heiji had said it would be a robbery case, too, until I re-watched the episode to make sure I didn't screw anything up. XDD Really? Awesome! ^^ I'm not sure exactly what cadets is (as my knowledge of the world works fails, orz…) but it still sounds cool and I think I have a general idea of what it is. Maybe. Though, I may be completely wrong. XDD (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan! **

**To: DDmasters – (Laughs) Here's another update! ^^ (Gathers cyber cookies) Thank you~ **

**To: chibianimefan26 – Thank you! I'm glad you like it! ^^ (Laughs) Me too! Writing Heiji-Conan-Midori interactions are always amusing for me. There should be more interaction between the trio in the next chapter. XD Here's the update! ^^ As for any OC/SI stories, I personally really enjoy 'Dream or not' by MoonRaven95 and 'Into the World of Detective Conan' by Chelseaj500, which also has a sequel called 'Into the World of Detective Conan: Part 2'. 'A Different World' by Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan is off to a good start, as well. ^^ Those are the only ones I can remember at the moment, but if I remember another, I'll send you a message. ^^ **

**To: SuperPaperPokemon (chapter 20, 41, and 50) – I hope you don't mind me answering them all together. XD The reason for the differing heights between Midori and Erise is because Midori was planned to be tall for her age since the beginning, her height being 5'6 (which is also why she's physically three, yet can pass as a 6-7 year old). However, in the profile I got for Erise from Iriss-sama, it says that she's 5'3, which is a relatively normal height for a sixteen year old (I think…I'm not sure). I can see why there'd be some confusion there, so sorry for that. XD Ah, that would be helpful! Thank you for the tip! I'll now label any original cases with 'O'. ^^ Sorry for that, as well, lol. Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! ^^ That arc was fun to write, as well! 8DD Thank you, I'll try! ^^**

**Note(s):**

**Kurou: 'Kurou' means 'troubles'. **

**Note End. **

**I know this is getting to be a pretty big ending note, but I just want to inform you that I'm looking for OC's for another story of mine I'll be working on soon. It's going to be a SI (An 'into that world' fic) for the game **_**Fire Emblem: Awakening**_** and I'll be taking OC submissions for it and will choose a few other people to put in the story. If any of you are interested, please send me a personal message and I'll send you the form that you can fill out with all your character's information! Thank you for reading! ^^ **

"**Next Conan's Hint: Fountain Pen!"**


	57. (TA) Mysterious Masked Murder (Part 2)

**A/N: Sorry for the super long wait and any concern I may have warranted. Rest assured that this story will be continued, but I'm in a bit of a writer's slump. XDD;; Anyway, this is the first chapter of a new arc – the Transmogrification Arc, to be specific. The arc name is actually really important to the events that are about to unfold~! XDD Hope you enjoy this chapter! 8D I feel one part got a bit too extensive, but it felt wrong to cut it, so….yeah. XDD**

Chapter Fifty Seven; Transmogrification Arc

After my call, the police had arrived not long after and had gathered us all for questioning and eye-witnesses and other crime-scene investigation stuff. Currently, we were all outside of the estate and the fenced gate, surrounding Suit Man's body, which had been painstakingly taken from the fence slowly, in a loose half circle. While the detectives of the case had no problem looking at the recently-impaled body, I found myself feeling slightly queasy, purposely looking away towards the far left (away from crying people) with my hands dug deep into my pockets uncomfortably, standing a bit back from Heiji and Kogoro.

It was chilly out, but I wasn't cold thanks to my long-sleeved shirt and scarf, and the sound of crying was somewhat drowned out by all the activity currently taking place in the area – police searching for the bandaged man Heiji and the others had seen and all the extra guards roaming the property. If I had thought the place was crawling with police _before_, then it definitely felt like I was being thrown into a pit of police-cobras at the moment. They were literally _everywhere_.

"He was thrown onto the fence." Megure-keibu concluded from his spot crouched next to the victim, a forensic officer on the other side of the body doing his work, with Smiley crying her eyes out somewhere near him. I cleared my throat soundlessly, shifting a bit restlessly. It wasn't my fault, so I shouldn't feel guilty every time something like this happens, I berated myself. Not to mention that changing things didn't work out the last time…

I pushed the thoughts away and focused my attention on Megure's conversation, despite keeping my eyes away from the body. The poor jerk's torso had been pierced straight through with barely any resistance, blood spilling all over his nice business suit and it was generally not a pretty sight – after the first peek at the body when I'd first been brought here, I kept my eyes away since. Dead bodies give me the heebie-jeebies…

Megure stood, turning his attention from the body to Kogoro. "So, is it true that the culprit was Nagato-shi's son, Hideomi-san?"

"No, it isn't!" The voice was sharp and defensive and it cut off Kogoro before he could even open his mouth. I glanced over in slight surprise as the others also swiveled their heads to look at the culprit of denial – Green Suit. Her eyes were set into a sure glare, but without much work, I could tell there was sweat dotting her cheeks and neck in nervousness. "The culprit isn't Hideomi-san! He must have…," She trailed for a moment, "He must have had a reason!" Damn, I have to admit, she was a pretty good actress.

"No matter what the reason was, it's still murder!" Smiley shouted, finally looking up from her deceased husband with tears still overflowing in her eyes. She quickly turned her face back to the ground, as if trying to hide the fact that her voice was water-clogged and she was sniffing every so often. "Give me back my Mitsuaki-san!" Again, she lost her composure, reeling back slightly with tear-stained tracks once again flowing with water and she quickly smacked her hands over her face to cover her appearance as she finally let loose the heart-wrenching sobs she'd no doubt been holding in.

Everyone in the vicinity – including me – winced at the sight and I grimaced. I was never too good with crying people, so I was feeling really uncomfortable. "But…Hideomi-san isn't the type of person who'd do such a thing!" Green Suit defended once more, though she looked to be staring at Smiley with a concerned expression. She quickly turned away, probably out of guilt, to Megure-keibu once more, "And the person we saw may not have been Hideomi-san!"

As Megure gave a look and noise of confusion, Heiji's face became serious. "That's true. The person we saw was someone with bandages wrapped around his face."

"Bandages?"

"Y-Yes. We were told that Hideomi-san had severe burns on his face." Kogoro answered and Heiji picked it up once again, "We saw the culprit just after ten o'clock. We were all in the chairman's bedroom." Megure nodded his head and turned to the sleeping detective once more for confirmation, "Who left the room with you?"

"Those who left the bedroom with me were Heiji-kun, Ran and Conan," Ran's dad looked up in thought, "the butler Take-san, and Yasue-san. There were six of us." With a sharp look on his face, the inspector nodded and turned his head to settle his glare on Green Suit. "After everyone left the room, where were you?" He questioned with a piercing look – I swear, Megure's glare was equivalent to staring into a crow's eyes too long; eventually, you start to feel as if they know everything about you, your reflection appearing those black, beady eyes.

"I stayed in the bedroom by the chairman's side." She stated and the inspector then turned his eyes on me, making me straighten to attention, as if I was in the military. Mustering a nervous smile, I nodded my head briefly. "I'll attest to her staying in the bedroom – though, she was actually having a mental breakdown on the balcony." I let out a small, time-inappropriate chuckle and at the ensuing looks, cleared my throat noisily. "…er, anyway, I stayed in the room to finish my juice."

Megure's glare faltered as he gave an incredulous blink. "You…stayed in the room to finish your juice?"

I nodded, "I know it sounds strange to stay in a room when someone screams to finish your juice, but that's honestly what I did."

Regaining his composure, Megure gave an exasperated sigh and muttered a quick, "I'll take your word for it…,", in a tone that relayed that he was obviously thinking of my other stunts I did while on a case the other times he was the lead investigator. Like running off after immediately being deemed a possible suspect due to my Osaka-ben or barging into an investigation to help my suspect friend. I laughed internally – now that I think about it, I seemed thoroughly suspicious!

I felt a questioning glare from blue eyes before they turned back to the inspector as he looked up at the balcony beyond the fence where Suit Man had fallen to his painful demise. More specifically, he looked at the rope dangling from the edge, forensics officers having a field day up with tons of useless evidence. "But the culprit had even prepared a rope to escape from the balcony." He stated, assuring us that it had to be someone who had the time to tie a rope to the balcony – someone who knew the layout of the house.

Everyone's eyes settled on the piece of incriminating rope. "There's no doubt that the culprit used it." Heiji affirmed and looked back to the plump Megure, "When I was outside with the security guards, it was still swinging."

"So where's the man in question, Hideomi-san?" Megure-keibu swiftly redirected the conversation in an attempt to get more information. The butler looked worried, bushy grey brows furred up on his wrinkled face. "Actually, he's nowhere to be found. We were looking for him before you came."

"That means the culprit must have been Hideomi-san." Kogoro said seriously and Green Suit once again went on the defensive for her fiancé, "T-That can't be!"

"At any rate," Megure-keibu started, "We've found the weapon and the bandages the culprit used." He lifted a plastic bag with a large kitchen knife smeared with dark, dried blood. My stomach curled unpleasantly as I made a face and looked away from it. "If we inspect these…,"

"Hey!" Conan called out and I blinked, turning to where his voice was coming from. Right next to the dead body, he was crouched, lifting the limp hand by Suit Man's shirt cuffs. "What's this wound on the back of the victim's hand?" He questioned in 'innocent curiosity', "It looks like a stab wound." Seeing Kogoro walk up behind the shrunken Shinichi, I quickly ducked in and lifted him into my arms just as the older detective's hand went down for a swipe at the younger's head.

Kogoro almost let out his balance at my interference, but regained it before he fell on top of the body and I snickered, hugging Conan to my chest like a teddy bear. He swung helplessly for a moment before beginning to struggle to get out of my grasp. "Child abuse~" I chimed to Kogoro teasingly and with a pout, I placed Conan back onto the ground, ignoring the sleeping detective's displeased grumbling and glares thrown my way. Conan shot me a quick baleful look.

Before anyone could say anything else, a man tanned skin with a spiky-ish hairstyle of brown hair ran over with a serious look on his face. I had to keep my excited grin to myself – this was my first meeting with Takagi (officially, anyway; I don't think the time in the library counted since I wasn't sure if that was him)! We all turned to give the man our attention as he called out to the inspector. "What is it, Takagi-kun?" Megure asked.

"The mansion's security cameras show that nobody left the building after the crime." Takagi informed. Everyone reacted as expected – panic. "That means the culprit is–!" " –still in the mansion!" Eyes drifted up to where the chairman's room was located and then Conan was off, running quickly back into the building, not heeding to Kogoro's call.

Heiji quickly followed suit, shocking me as he once again called out a, "Come on, Midori-han!"

Beginning to feel a bit like the Robin to his Batman, I followed after with Megure-keibu on my heels.

ooOOoo

"Crap! The door's locked!" Heiji panicked, jiggling the knob of the door. I almost broke into laughter – so time-inappropriate, I know – when he started banging on the door like a literal orangutan. "Hey! Is anyone inside?!"

Despite having watched the episode and read the manga chapters, I still blinked in surprise as Scowly opened the door with a displeased face. "What's with all this noise? Why are you all gathered here?" She questioned and as I peered around her, I saw Ran sitting next to the chairman's bed.

My brows furred in confusion. What the heck? Hadn't they just been outside with us all? Heiji, Conan, and I had to run all the way here and they somehow got here first, had time to get settled in, and even had time to lock the door.

Not only is Heiji's dad a secret ninja, but Ran and Scowly have freakin' teleportation abilities.

Our little group of stair-dashers piled into the room as she let us in. "Why are _you_ here?" Heiji asked the most important question. Seriously, why are they here? How _are_ they here?

"There was a commotion, so I came to make sure everything was okay." Scowly told us, crossing her arms over her torso. I made my way over to Ran, leaning my hip against the back of the chair she was currently occupying, shooting her a bright grin in absent greeting.

"Where were you before you came here?" Megure demanded and I almost resisted a face palm, but couldn't – because, really, they'd been with _us_ before this. With her usual attitude, the woman raised her nose in the air haughtily and said, "I was in a bad mood, so I was drinking in my room." I felt like sinking to the floor in confusion. What was going on here? It was like there was a discrepancy in time. My shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter.

"By yourself?" The inspector fished.

"Yes, I was griping about things with my friend on the phone." Her eyes rose in thought. "I was drunk, so I don't remember who I called. But is it true that Hideomi killed Mitsuaki-san?"

"Well, apparently…,"

"Just as I thought. I figured he would do it eventually." She sighed. "Those two always got into arguments when they were together. They were childhood friends and got along very well, but…after the accident, they fought like cats and dogs."

"'The accident'?" Megure prompted.

"Probably how he got the burn on his face." I piped up with a shrug.

Scowly surprising confirmed my 'guess' without any backlog. "Yes, twenty years ago, there was a fire at an inn near here. Mitsuaki-san and Hideomi were in high school at the time and were passing by. He should have stayed out of it, but Hideomi shook off Mitsuaki-san's hand and leapt into the fire to save a girl." Scowly directed her attention to Green Suit. "That girl was Hyuuga Miyuki. Because of that, Hideomi suffered severe burns on his face. He stopped going to school, locked himself up in his room, and pretended to be a writer. Of course, there wasn't a single women who would go near him."

"Knowing this," Scowly continued and her voice was slowly becoming spitefully accusing, "this women approached Hideomi and even had him recommend her as father's secretary. And now _marriage_?!" She was full on rage now. Either she had a serious brother complex for Hideomi or she just _really_ wanted to get married for some reason. I'm going with the former.

"That's enough, Nobuko." The chairman spoke up.

"Oh, father, you were awake?"

"Well, I've been half-awake ever since everyone left the room in a commotion." He admitted, eyes drooping tiredly. I'm surprised he was still sleepy in a situation like this.

"Did you notice anything unusual after that?" Megure-keibu practically demanded.

"No, nothing happened. Hyuuga-kun stayed by my side until Ran-san came. Though…, I did hear this young lady mention something of a…men syndrome after everyone left and she was finishing her drink?" His eyes slid to me and his brow furred as he tried to remember what I said.

All the eyes in the room honed onto me, some suspicious (cough, Conan, cough) and others confused or deadpanning (cough, Megure, cough). My face flushed bright red at the attention and embarrassment of it all – how in the world did he hear me saying that, anyway?! I thought he was an old man, which equates to bad hearing (usually)! Quickly, I scrambled for an answer to the unspoken question.

"That was…it was–a song!" I defended. "There's a song that goes…something similar to that degree. And…it was stuck in my head at the time. It's embarrassing for you guys to know that I was musing over a song like that, haha…_ha_…," I felt like shoving my head into the nearest wall at how utterly _lame_ that sounded out loud.

The inspector let out a deep sigh, as if he was just so _done_ with me and my odd behaviors. I sent him a sheepish grin that he replied to with unimpressed eyes. "That's nothing unusual for her. While it's a good idea to keep an eye on her, it's probably best to just ignore her antics." He told everyone, bringing his hand over his face for a brief moment. Conan's eyes had narrowed at me before he redirected his attention to the case at hand.

Thankfully, Kogoro redirected the conversation away from me. Bless his wonderful soul~! "This isn't the time to go searching for your first love, is it?" Kogoro said to the chairman with a somewhat downtrodden face. He probably hoped it would just be a clean case without any deaths. Sorry, occhan, but you're literally walking with your own shinigami – the probability of a clean case is about 23%, if _that_ high.

The chairman's face dampened in horrific disappointment. "No, that's fine. Please forget about that."

It was only a little while after that Conan pulled Heiji from the room to inquire about why he _really_ called him here. Curious if he would ask about me, I leaned up against the wall next to where the door was cracked open, so that I could hear their conversation but they wouldn't be able to see me listening in. My eyes focused on my legs, tracing the pattern of the plaid on my shorts and the star design on my leggings. The more I looked at it, the more oddly put it looked together.

"The truth is that the chairman said he heard a strange noise last night." Heiji was saying and short prompt from the shrunken detective had him elaborating. "Yeah, the sound of someone running quietly in the hallway in the middle of the night and the sound of objects colliding over and over again." Geez, if I'd heard that, I would've just called the police over the first time I'd heard it.

"That means…,"

"That's right. Someone in this house was working on something for this murder last night. At first, both my dad and I thought that it was just a burglar casing the place, so we increased the guards and even called you guys. We knew something would happen tonight. But who would've thought it was someone's life he wanted to take?"

Umm, everyone who has ever been around you two for more than two months, probably.

"Premeditated murder…," Conan trailed.

"But don't you think it's odd?" Heiji asked. "Mouri Kogoro, who you made famous, was here. That means the culprit was either very confident about his plans, or…,"

"…He couldn't change the plans."

"What puzzles me are the objects left around the victim. Nevermind the weapon. There wasn't much time for the culprit to flee, so why did he bother to take off his hat and bandages?" Heiji brought up and they were working in such perfect synch, like gears made to operate a machine together.

"And the fact that he made sure we saw his face on the balcony, as if he wanted to place the blame on Hideomi-san." Conan intoned.

"Which means the only person who could have done it is Nobuko-san, who had left the room." Heiji theorized.

They stood in silence for a while and just when I was about to move away from the door so that they didn't know I was eavesdropping when they came back in the room, Conan spoke up again.

"So?" He said, "What's Watanabe doing here?" My head perked up in interest.

Heiji gave out a small laugh. "Ah, Midori-han? I…wanted to confirm something with her."

"Hm?"

"Seems like it was nothing important, though."

I smiled to myself as the conversation ended, moving from the door as they headed back inside the room.

ooOOoo

After that, we all began to search the mansion's every nook and cranny to look for Hideomi. While searching, I was also looking out for any gems that could possibly be hidden around, but just like Hideomi, they were nowhere to be found. With a yawn, I headed back to the middle of the main room with Ran, who I ran into while walking back from down the halls. Heiji and Conan were already there, looking tired and just a bit frustrated at the lack of evidence.

"Hey, find anything?" I questioned, though I knew the answer would be negative. But I had to act like I didn't, since we'd done this Scooby Doo style – split up and look for clues.

"Nope, you?" Heiji asked.

"I wouldn't be asking you if I did," I chuckled before another yawn cut me off. I put my hand in front of my mouth sheepishly. "Sorry."

Megure's voice came from behind me and Ran, startling us both a bit. "I think it's about time we call it a night. It's already three. We'll all continue searching tomorrow." Wow, really? I'm really glad I had already told Kaito I'd be staying the night with Akako, otherwise he'd probably be in a bit of a panic by now. We all relaxed a bit at the thought of getting some well-deserved sleep.

I nodded my head at the inspector, pulling out my phone and opening the alarm settings. "What time are we gonna start tomorrow?" I asked him curiously.

He blinked. "Um, probably six."

"'Kay~" I swiftly set the alarm to five thirty as Megure nodded and bided us all goodnight for the night, following the butler to his room for the night. It had been decided that we were to all stay in the mansion tonight for safety reasons and the such. As for Conan's entourage and Heiji and I, we had already planned to stay the night at the mansion. My attention was drawn from my phone to Conan, who was staring at me with an odd expression.

"Hm?" I prompted curiously, a bit unnerved as I rubbed sleep from my eyes.

"…That's a nice phone." He said with that same odd expression.

My brows furred and I offered an uneasy grin at him. "Thanks…?"

A gentle hand resting on my shoulder had me flinching before I turned to see the butler there. "I'll show you to your room now, Watanabe-san." He said, and I gave a short salute to the others in parting, beginning to head up the stairs with him. Along the way, he told me how to get to Heiji, Kogoro, and Megure's room in case something happened at night.

I was shown to one of the guest rooms by the tired butler, nodding my thanks before heading into the large room and flicking the light switch. It was furnished with a plain theme with colors of burgundy and black, with a large queen-sized bed in the center, a night table and lamp, and a bookcase pushed against the wall filled to the brim with books on ethics. With a sigh of relief, I walked further in, shutting the door silently behind me and heading for the bed. Today had been a long day.

A content smile made its way to my lips as I stretched and sat down on the bed after grabbing a random book from the third shelf. It was, like, three in the morning, but I still didn't feel like sleeping despite being tired. I've always been a bit of night owl, though, so it wasn't very surprising. I flipped the book open to a randomly selected page far into the book and skimmed the lines with a dull interest, only to laugh at what I'd found. It was a book on the theories of moral behavior and how it develops. I snorted and closed the book with an ironic grin on my lips.

"I personally didn't think that was your type of book either, kitten." A voice purred from the foot of my bed.

I jolted with a yelp, the book falling to the carpeted floor with a low thud as I swiftly stood, backed up several steps to the wall, and brought my hands up to my chest in a flinch – and while my feet were placed correctly if I was attacked, my karate sensei would be disappointed at my hand's positioning. 'You're leaving yourself wide open!' he'd probably say before delving into how many different ways he could take me down with my unguarded posture.

My eyes narrowed into a deep glare as fair blond hair and blue eyes registered. Relaxing slightly, I crossed my arms and gave him a sardonic smirk, one that screamed my want to reach back down and chuck the rather thick ethics book in his face. "Spider, what an unpleasant surprise." I droned tensely, "Stalking me again?"

He looked down at me with a smirk and I internally cursed his height. How come he was so darn _tall_?! "Yes, actually." He answered smoothly in his ever-irritating tone, as if he hadn't just admitted to stalking a minor. "Today's an important case for Hattori Heiji, isn't that right? He finds out about the true 'do's and don'ts' of detective work, right?" A cold chill down my spine had me straightening, hair on the back of my neck standing on end. "'If you drive them to suicide, you're no better than a murderer', or something of that type of nonsense?" He sounded amused.

"I don't see how _that_ concerns _you_." I stated cautiously, mentally calculating how far away Heiji's room was from mine in case I had to sprint to go help him. The odds were a bit in favor of the arachnid freak, though, and that alone made me incredibly uneasy. I shuffled in place, glancing at the closed door. How the hell did he even get inside?

"Oh, on the contrary, kitten," I made a face at the nickname and he chuckled deeply, "Since you're bothering to make it your business, it's my business. If it's _your_s, it's _mine._" Wow, that wasn't creepy _at all_. "Plus, when you start looking for gems behind my back, I think I have the right to retaliate. Really now, it's not very nice to play dirty." He ended patronizingly.

"We didn't lay down any ground rules." I retorted, "If anyone's a cheater, it's _you_, goldilocks." Not for any particular reason, just that he was unbearably annoying. It also wasn't fair that he could watch my every move while I had to constantly guess where he was and what he was doing – _frustrating_.

He gave another chuckle. "Fair enough, but I'm not a cheater. Like you said, we didn't lay down any ground rules. Watching you can't possibly be against the non-existent rules, can it?" I instantly felt like smashing his head into the nearest wall and then smashing my own head to fall unconscious. It was too damn late to deal with this – deal with _him_. In fact, it was always too late to deal with him, no matter the time.

"Smartass." I scowled.

"I got it from my creator, what can I say?"

Releasing a groan, I pointed a threatening finger at his chest. "Why can't you just go about your merry little way and leave me alone? Go join some circus with your illusion act – the Deadline Circus or Cirque Dans La Rue. I think you'd fit in." I snarkily remarked. If there was anywhere Spider belonged, it was in a demented circus. Or a high-security prison cell.

"I would, but you see, kitten, that'd be no fun. I wouldn't be able to see your reaction to my first heist's prize and that'd just be a pity." He reached into the pocket of his black slacks and pulled out a chain necklace with onyx wings carved out in amazing detail, spread out as it ready to take flight into the sky. His smirk grew at my gaping expression. "While you had no luck finding gems, I found this pretty little thing tucked away in the late wife's study, hidden in her desk drawer."

I blinked in disbelief. How come he found something and I didn't? Then again, I had the decency to not go peeking through a dead lady's things, so I guess that's where I went 'wrong' in my search. I opened my mouth to say another sarcastic comment, but nothing came to mind. I was at a loss for words with a psycho spider in my room. _Great…_

"It's called Icarus' Wings. Apparently, it was a 7th anniversary gift, but that's not the interesting part." He thrust it outward and I was tempted to try to snatch it, but the last time I'd wrestled with him, I'd ended up with a concussion and I didn't really feel like having to explain myself to Akako again. She'd fry me up and serve me to her butler for dinner if I ended up injured again while supposedly 'staying with her for the weekend'. The pitch black color of the wings glittered faintly in the dim light of the lamp on the night table.

"It's said to have the powers of many generations captured inside." He began to explain and my brows furred in massive confusion. "The story of Icarus, I'm sure you've heard it. Icarus and his father attempt to escape from Crete by the wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. Icarus' father warns him that he should fly neither too low nor too high, because the sea's mist would clog up and the sun's warmth would melt the wax. But Icarus ignored his father's warning and flew too close to the sun. His wings melted and he fell into the sea and drowned."

"Okay…?" I found myself questioning in confusion. What did this even have to do with anything?

"This gem is said to be the manifestation of Icarus' melted wings, molded back together by the grieve-stricken Daedalus into onyx."

I frowning at him. "What does this have to do with you and me? It's obviously not the gem we're looking for, Spider." My tone was a bit shaky and I tried to process his story-telling. For some reason, the story left me all kinds of anxious despite being almost…normal. He sent me a sly look as he pocketed the necklace after staring at it for a moment.

"What I'm trying to say, kitten, is that this piece of jewelry is very powerful." He had a shark's smirk on his face that reminded me of myself when I was proving a point to someone. "And now it's mine."

So that's what this was about – gloating. Jerkface probably made up the whole story just to give me the creeps. I gave an indignant huff, "I don't see why you need more power, but I don't care. It's not what I'm looking for. Take it, for all I care." His face remained unchanged for his confident smirk and my brow twitched. "That means you can leave now that you're done gloating." I hissed through clenched teeth. If he didn't leave, I'll be tempted to smash his pretty face into the nearby bookcase. Not that I wasn't _already_ tempted to, but…

He let out a small, mocking sigh and shook his head with pitying expression – as if I just didn't understand something. My fingers twitched. "And here I expected a bit more from you, _master_." The word was venom-injected, like acid pouring from his lips into my ears and I grimaced in distaste. "I wasn't here to gloat. I'm here to offer you a deal."

"No, thanks. I don't make deals with evil arachnids." I answered stiffly, frowning up at him.

He stepped closer and I took a step back to compensate. "Don't come closer." I growled, trying to look intimidating to the much taller and stronger person. My shoulders rose and I straightened my back to look taller, much like a cobra raises itself to scare off predators.

He let out a small laugh at my defensive actions and once again brought out the necklace, chains clicking as the black wings slid side-to-side like some type of pendulum. "If you'd like, I can give you this if you give my deal some thought. It's not actually a container item – it's another one of those pocket dimensions that you and _that boy_ got stuck in. I believe this one is in an artificial sky of some kind." He mused absently and I jolted in panic as he offered it.

"D-Don't give it to me, idiot!" I yelped, backing up swiftly, my shoulder blades slamming into the wall behind me as I leaned away from the dangling piece of jewelry. "I don't want to get stuck inside some odd place again!" Not that I remembered anything much from the other pocket dimension, but whenever I tried to remember, my head would pound and an uncomfortable, shaky, breath-taking, feeling of _guilt _would leave me sick to the stomach and gasping for breath as the world spun. _Yeah, not fun…_

His sharp teeth flashed for a moment in amusement and he put it closer to my face, making me turning my head away and screw my eyes shut. This jerk! Just wait until you don't have that stupid pocket dimension to protect you and then I'm going to kick you where the sun doesn't shine! My eyes carefully pried open when I heard a small sound from Spider and the clinking of the chain pulling away from me. I looked just in time to see him once again pocket the item. I focused my gaze on him, bewildered and suspicious.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, it only opens during solar eclipses." He said and was it just me or did he seem a bit awkward? I brushed the thought away. Yeah right. "Either way, my deal." I rolled my eyes and quickly interrupted, "I told you, I don't want to hear it! I won't agree to it!" There was a short silence.

His Columbian blue eyes narrowed and I gulped, feeling myself break into a cold sweat at the intense glare. "W-What?" I managed without the heat I wanted behind it. It sounded more like a frightened stutter and I felt like running, but my legs were locked.

"I want you to listen to my deal, kitten, but you won't. Is it so hard to just hear me out?" He hummed with a sardonic smile and I flinched as his current appearance flickered, being replaced with blue eyes a shade darker – filled with sick amusement as I paled – and tanned skin, a harsh yellow tattoo over his left eye etched into his skin. He'd dropped the 'softer' mask and I was gazing upon his true face for the first time since we've met. I'd only seen it in small flickers and now it was solid. My heart leapt into my throat at the different appearance, uncomfortable being in the presence of someone who _looked_ like the regular threatening Spider but seemed much more…_scary_.

"Do I have to convince you to listen?" He continued, "I know you have those children friends of yours, as well as that ever-trusting brunette by your current appearance's side…," He trailed off with a suggestive lift of his brow. My heart almost stopped in sheer horror and my body moved on its own in an adrenaline rush of worry, fear, and _anger_. _How dare he threaten them?!_

"_Don't_!" My fingers were wrapped around his wrist in a vice-like grip, skin paling under the force, but it didn't seem to hurt him much. "I'll listen to your stupid deal offer, but if you hurt them, I'll _kill _you." I warned with a dark glare, purposely digging my nails into his skin to get my point across. I wasn't against hurting him, especially if he was planning to touch a single hair on any innocent's head.

"I thought you'd say that." His accomplished expression was infuriating as his image flickered back to the Spider I was more familiar with, in appearance any way. "Here's my deal: instead of searching for the gem separately and trying to find it before the other, I'm willing to work together with you to find it. On the condition that you'll train yourself to fully utilize your magic."

My grip loosened on his wrist in surprise and relief at him dropping the subject of my friends, but I was incredulous. "You want to… _help_ me?" It seemed too good to be true, there had to be a catch; it probably had something to do with why he wanted me to 'fully utilize' my magic. The magic Akako told me I wouldn't be able to use, anyway, because I was still in my 'non-magical body'; I was still physically a normal human and therefore wouldn't be able to use magic without an outlet. Or something. I couldn't exactly remember everything and I had a lot to process that night, so give me a break.

"Oh, she finally gets it." He mocked as he nodded and gave a fake round of applause to irritate me.

I gave a scowl that probably came off as a petulant pout as I re-crossed my arms across my chest. "Well, it doesn't matter if I 'finally get it'. I can't take your deal." It was physically impossible, not to mention that I didn't feel particularly inclined to work together with this arachnid stalker. I was managing _just_ fine without his help, thank you very much.

"I had a feeling you would say that." He nodded nonchalantly, as if I'd played right into his plan. _This man is so annoying…_ "Don't you want to know the truth, about _everything_?" My breath caught in my throat and I immediately knew what he was talking about; all those nagging questions hidden deep in my subconscious that bothered me while trying to fall asleep. His face grew smug and sly as he caught my attention.

"Don't you wonder about things that you don't know of – of things _hidden_ from you by your little witch _friend_? Don't you wonder how you somehow managed to crack auto safety glass? Don't you wonder why you can easily gain the trust of _that boy_, Hattori Heiji, and even that brunette girl? I assure you, it's not that they find you so trustworthy. You've only known them for a few months, at most, after all. They're not people you belong with – I can give you your place in the world. I can help you _get home_." He extended a pale hand towards me, as if beckoning me to take it and come with him.

I felt myself flinch and withdraw back with an odd, heavy, feeling blooming in my chest. I felt like a child cowering away from my closet in fear of what lay behind the closed doors. I had desperately tried to ignore all those questions, burying them deep in my mind to be prodded at a much later time when I felt I could fully understand the reasons, and Spider was just digging them up. I didn't want to hear it – I wanted to cover my ears and pretend he wasn't there, but that would be childish.

Instead, I leaned back onto the wall behind me and slid down slowly, drawing my knees up to my chest and staring up at him with frosty eyes. "I said 'no', can't you understand those words?" My voice sounded gravelly as my mind continued to assure me that I was indeed _normal_. There was nothing strange about me and I belonged right where I was, even if I was in a dimension different from my own. Breaking the glass had been lucky – it probably was already cracked. Heiji and Erise trusted Midori because she was their friend and they're people who believe in their friends. Kaitou KID trusted Jester because…because they were supposedly in the same ordeal. There was nothing strange, nothing odd.

_Ya see, Midori-han, it's like ya don't even exist._

A chill spread over my skin as Spider crouched in front of me, his outstretched hand barely brushing the tips of my bangs before pulling back. Coldness spread from the contact point with the sensation of crawling spiders and soon it felt like I'd been sitting out in the cold for hours, body numb and lips chilled over. A violent shiver wracked my body as I hugged myself for warmth, trying to curl further away from him as he stared at me with cold, unsympathetic eyes with a smirk curled on his face.

"Try to deny it all you want, but you were brought here for a reason. Don't you want to know the grand scheme of things?" He cooed as if he was talking to wounded animal and if he didn't shut up, _I was going to kill him_– "This world isn't full of nihilism. The people in charge have big plans, you know. I can tell you everything, if you just accept my offer. In all truth, it's in your favor, isn't it? I inform you of all your naiveties, I help you find the gem, I help you get back home; it's all you've ever wanted."

A small growl erupted for my mouth as my body curled taut before I rocked myself forward at Spider, practically launching myself at him. I gripped his collar and he fell to his back with a surprised face that quickly smoothed over to his usual confident face. I yanked him forward before slamming his head back to the ground, over and over. I'm not sure if I was trying to knock sense into him, or me. My body was moving on its own accord and my hands were slowly losing feeling the longer they held onto his collar.

"_Shut it _– you don't know me _at all_! Don't assume you know things that you don't! And I don't give a _shit_ of the grand scheme of things! I ended up here on my own accord and I refuse to believe in something as stupid as pre-determined futures, no matter what you _or_ Akako says!" I seethed in his face, a grin of malice twitching at the corner of my mouth in success as I saw his face twist in slight pain. In a second, my back slammed into the ground painfully and he was on top of me, his own hand tangled in my collar.

Cold breath brushed across my face as he leaned closer and for a second of horror, I thought he was going to kiss me (or bite me, but that'd be less horrifying) before he got to his feet, hauling me up with him. The tips of my sneakers barely brushed the ground as he held me by my collar above my height and I felt my throat close up at the tight hold. "It seems the over-tempered child needs a lesson." He mocked and I choked on a smartass remark as he hauled me further up and then there was a rush of air and I'd hit the wall on the other side of the room. The lamp on the night table tumbled onto the floor, bulb shattering, as I slid down the wall, my shoulder slamming into the night table as I went down. The room filled with complete darkness due to a lack of window.

Pain seared up my shoulder and back as I hit the floor rather ungracefully. Right, I'd nearly forgotten that Spider probably had super-strength. The only curse to him I had in mind would be insulting me, since I was technically his 'mother', so I didn't voice or think it. Instead I scowled as he wiped his hands together, as if he had already won. He wasn't even bothering to look over to where I'd fallen – this _bastard…_

I felt blood welling in my mouth, so I probably bit my lip of something, damn it. I spit it out to the side quickly and gathered my strength, glass bits crunching under my feet as I stood from my crash landing. I easily crossed the room in a few long, swift, strides – oddly able to see the vague outlines of everything – and the glass had probably alerted him to my presence, 'cause his face turned towards me just in time for my fist to connect with the side of his face. He quickly recovered and gripped the arm I'd used to hit him and pulled, making me stumble forward and my chin to get a personal meet-and-greet with the _other_ wall. It would've been my face, if I hadn't realized at the last second and clicked my tongue.

My teeth clenched in pain as I felt my arm become twisted up against my back and him lean closer to speak over my shoulder at me. "You aren't very good at this, are you?" He chuckled and to retaliate and prove him wrong, I lifted one leg, planted it against the wall, and _pushed_. My head rammed into what I assumed was his chin as we both stumbled backwards, my arm pulling at an almost too-painful angle before he was forced to let go to regain his balance.

As he recovered his balance, I'd already turned on my heel and slammed my fist into his face again, another step forward and my left fist dug into his solar plexus in a thrust punch. He gave a small sound of discomfort and bent over slightly, placing a protective hand over the wounded place. He was completely unguarded. I backed up a bit, planted my feet, readied myself – and then I hit him with a well-placed kick right in the side, where his ribs were.

I half expected him to give another groan of pain, but he didn't, instead rewarding me with a scathing look as if I'd just done the worst crime in the world by hurting him. My heart froze for a moment and the temperature in the room seemed to, as well. He had a pained look in his eyes, but I knew I was in trouble the second his façade flickered to be replaced with his earlier appearance. The image of a spider glittered faintly in the darkness. He lunged.

Pain blossomed across my face and I realized in indignation that he'd freakin' punched me. I swiftly returned the favor and we both seemed to not really care anymore, rage consuming any rational thought as we eventually blocked each other's attacks and started to grapple, trying to over-power the other. He easily beat me in height and I found myself bracing my legs and arms, somehow managing to remain unfolded despite his obvious advantages.

His teeth flashed to me in the dark and I bared mine back, a growl ripping from my throat. By now, my whole body was cold and numb from keeping close contact with him this long, but I wasn't about to back down. I struggled for an idea to get the upper hand, or at least change the situation, since I could feel myself beginning to fold under his weight. I gave him a one-over and immediately found the perfect idea. His legs were braced similar to mine and completely unguarded. It was cruel, but I didn't care.

He gave a pained groan through clenched teeth and crumpled to his knees, dragging me down with him as his nails trailed long scratches on my arms despite the fabric of my shirt saving me from the brunt of his nails. He recovered faster than I had expected and I yelped as I was slammed onto the floor once more and a knee drove into my stomach, knocking the air out of me as my stomach clenched in pain. His eyes glinted as they narrowed and his voice was still somewhat strained as he said, "That was a cheap move, kitten."

"I never said…," I huffed out breathlessly, teeth clenched, "…that I play fair." A sneer crawled onto my lips.

I could make out a smirk on his face as he lifted his arm to deliver another one of his ice-cold hits. "Fair enough." My head snapped to the side and I felt the first dredges of tiredness and pain getting the best of me. My adrenaline rush was failing me and I didn't know how much longer he could go at this. Ugh, I obviously hadn't been thinking of this when I first lunged…

Warm blood trickled down my frozen lips and my breath was coming out in condensed puffs, but I wasn't the only one looking worse for wear. Spider's face looked pallid in some spots and I had no doubt that those patches would bloom into a purple color a few hours later. I couldn't help the sense of pride that I'd managed to damage his face and with a surge of strength, I shifted away from his next punch, his knuckles making a loud thud as it hit the carpeted ground.

My knee made contact with his stomach and I hurried to crawl out from beneath him as he took a moment to regain his breath – and I felt a tiny bit of guilt since that was the third time I'd hit his torso, but I brushed it away. I jumped to my feet, grasped the back of his suit's jacket and tried my best to throw him as far as I could – which wasn't very far or hard, but he still collided with the nearest wall. As I was catching my breath and running through ideas of running out the door to get out of this bad situation, chilled hands grasped my shirt – one on my shoulder, the other between my shoulder blades – and I dangled for a heart-stopping moment before I was flying across the room.

My body crashed into the bookshelf, arms and legs protecting my face and ribs as I curled, hard edges digging into my skin. I fell the short distance to the ground and I groaned, rolling onto my back as an ache spread across my whole body. My eyes widened and my breath hitched as several books fell onto me, hardcover spines bruising me and the whole shelf tipped precariously before falling forward. I screwed my eyes shut and braced for the impact, but it never came.

Books fell around me, pages flapping and thudding onto the ground. I opened my eyes a crack and was dumbstruck. Spider was above me, bookshelf toppled onto his back and he looked like he was in a bit of pain. "Wha…," My voice was incredulous, "What are you…?" …What just happened? Weren't we just trying to kill each other?

He used an arm to steady and stand the bookshelf back up and he smirked at me. A frozen palm touched my forehead and an agonizing jolt of lightning coursed through my veins and my body slumped as my senses went haywire. Black spots invaded my vision and my eyes began to drift close on their own accord. I couldn't even muster up a betrayed scowl as my body stopped responding – and it was odd that I was feeling _betrayed_, wasn't it?

"That was fun, kitten," The words were becoming drowned out by the sound of rushing water and the unmistakable sound of my own heartbeat, "But for now, you should wake up." Columbian blue eyes and an accomplished smile were the last things I saw before everything became swallowed in blackness.

_Damn it, I let my guard down…_

ooOOoo

Spider walked into the chamber Akako was residing in, slaving over another old grimoire, pages turning without her touching them, just as the sun was beginning to rise. She was sipping at a cup of tea at her desk and flicked her fiery eyes to him as he sauntered in, an almost unnoticeable limp to his steps. She raised a condescending brow at him, "What happened to you? You look as if you've been run over by a car." There was no concern in her voice, merely cold amusement and perhaps a bit disdain.

"Nothing I couldn't handle, I assure you." He stated smoothly, walking further into the candle-lit room. He glanced to the couch as a familiar snicker reached his ears. As expected, the fifteen-year-old teen was laying curled up on the couch, wild black hair framing his face as he gave an impish grin. "Looks like you got beaten pretty _bad_ – you realize you have a black eye, right, spurious?" The teen's voice was scratchy and Spider had a feeling that he'd never stop getting irritated by it.

He offered the teen a deep frown, lightly touching around his right eye gently. "Like I said, it was nothing I couldn't handle." He enunciated again and the teen bristled, sharp nails digging into the soft material of the couch, but he didn't move. The two glared at each other and Akako rolled her eyes in annoyance, turning in her chair to look at them.

"Stop fighting." She ordered sharply and while the teen begrudgingly listened with a petulant face, Spider sent the witch a mocking look that obviously said 'I'm not going to listen to you'. Akako gave him a harsh look and reached out a hand. "You got it, right?"

He smirked, "Of course. Icarus' Wings is all yours, little witch. It probably won't do you much good, though." He fished the necklace from his pocket and tossed it over, where Akako easily snatched it out of the air. She looked over the onyx jewelry before turning a suspicious look to Spider. "What did you do to it?" She questioned fiercely, "There's not one trace of the magic that once dwelled inside of it." The boy on the couch sent Spider an equally suspecting look as he shifted, resting his chin on his palm and sitting up slightly.

"I'm not quite sure myself. There was nothing in it the moment I found it." Spider gave a small shrug, "Perhaps someone else beat us to the punch."

"No one else knew about this gem, Spider." Akako's eyes narrowed into a glare that would make lesser men cower, but he kept his composure. "This gem was an heirloom in the Koizumi family for years before we sold it to that chairman's family, since we knew that it would be safer with people who didn't know how to use it. So, tell me, who else could have 'beaten us to the punch'?" Her tone was cold and burning all at once and the black-haired teen sat up, securing his blanket around him.

He tilted his head up and breathed in the air before tensing and baring his teeth, a territorial hiss escaping his lips. "You smell like Midori!" He accused, "Was she the one you fought with? You didn't hurt her, did you?!" He demanded to know. As he was about to stand, Akako shot him a _Look_ and he snarled for a moment before flopping back down onto the couch, staring up at Spider with hateful eyes and a glower. His nails dug once more into the couch and he knew he was going to pay greatly later when Akako realized he'd shredded her couch's cover.

"We got into a small scuffle, is all. No need to be defensive, brat." Spider sneered and Akako quickly stood and got between the two – it wouldn't be the first time she'd had to step in before they got into a fight. "As for who," He regarded Akako's last question, "I'm not sure. Maybe one of your relatives is doing things behind your back, hm?"

There was a moment of tense silence before Akako crossed her arms and gave a dainty sigh. "I don't believe a word from your mouth, but I suppose it's all I have to go by. We'll have to find something else, then." She brushed past Spider's shoulder to get back to her desk, beginning to once more flip through the faded yellow pages of her grimoire. The black-haired teen offered one last spiteful look before closing his eyes to rest once more.

With none of their attention on him for the moment, Spider's lips curled into a scheming smirk as he headed out of the Koizumi mansion.

**-And, once again, due to Spider's interference, a new arc has opened up! The Transmogrification Arc will be filled with ominous meetings, suspicious motives, adjusting to new things, and meetings with old characters you may be familiar with and new characters that seem too familiar to be new (along with a slew of "unique" one-time characters, lol)~! It'll be kind of long and spread out, ranging from now to the in-story summer. **

**Also, more than half of what Spider said in this chapter is a complete and utter lie. XDD **

**As for the review replies I always put down here, I'll be skipping them this time since I'm not quite up to replying to things at the moment. XD;; However, next chapter, I will definitely reply to the new reviews and such~! ^^ **

**Thanks for reading~! **

"**Next Conan's Hint: Mobile Phone!"**


	58. (TA) Mysterious Masked Murder (Part 3)

**A/N: This chapter was actually supposed to be out earlier, so that future events would coincide with Halloween, but whatever. (Shrugs) Anyways, hope you like this chapter! ^^ Also, sorry for any strangeness that may occur in the writing or characterization. Everything I write now feels a bit awkward, but hopefully it'll subside. In another note, writing this chapter was annoying since Adobe kept crashing and I had to keep refreshing the page with the episode. **

Chapter Fifty Eight; Transmogrification Arc

"What do I do?!" I whispered rapidly into the phone. Akako let out a sound that was almost uncharacteristically discomforted. My shaking hands gripped the cold porcelain of the sink as I steadied myself, feeling panic coursing through my body. What was going on? My eyes flickered up to the mirror. Instead of the usual dark brown irises, dark pink ones that were bordering red stared back at me.

"_I'm not certain…,"_ She intoned a bit hesitatingly. "_However, Osamu-kun already called to inform me that he could bring you something to aid you. Apparently, Noboru-san gave them a forewarning yesterday while they were visiting._" Her tone was unnoticeably uneasy and that made _me_ uneasy. She honestly didn't seem to know what to think of this odd change in my appearance. If she did, then it was probably something she didn't want happening. Which was bad, in itself.

"O-Okay…," I trailed with a deep sigh. My phone clicking shut was loud in the silent bathroom.

After the fight with Spider yesterday night, I had woken up hours later to my phone's alarm. The room had been fixed, the bookshelf standing and neat, and the lamp on the night table no longer shattered across the floor. Despite the pristine state of the room, my whole body had ached and I'd begrudgingly gotten out of bed and headed to the nearest bathroom to shower and dress. It was only after I'd gotten out of the shower and dressed had I looked into the mirror to check out the bruises I knew were dotting my face.

Sure enough, the area around the bottom of my right eye was a bit inflamed, black bruise spots scattered, and my left cheekbone was a bit purple. But my eyes had also changed and after a moment of trying to see if I was being delusional (perhaps I got another concussion yesterday), I'd hurried to call the only person who could possibly know what happened, Akako.

I grimaced at my face in the mirror. Great, now I not only had to worry about explaining these bruises, but now I had to hide my eyes. I scratched my neck in discomfort, snuggling into the over-sized hoodie I was wearing for comfort. This had to be that stupid arachnids fault, somehow. I don't know how, but this _had_ to be him. The only strange thing that had happened yesterday, after all, was his impromptu visit.

"Midori-chan, are you alright?" Ran's voice came from outside the door after a short knock. I jumped in surprise, scrambling around my belongings to find something to cover up my face. I was seriously starting to regret my lack of makeup products, other than the ones I used to make Jester's distinct panda eyes. I had some foundation in The Den, too, but that was, well, in The Den. It's not like I could magically make it poof into existence in my bag.

"A-Ah, I'm alright!" I called through the door, stilling shuffling through my trinkets. With a grin of triumph, I found my hat crushed under the several notebooks that I had with me. Quickly shoving it over my head and pulling it low over my face in hopes that it covered my eye color enough, I opened the door slowly. Ran's concerned face looked at me as I painfully left the safe haven of the bathroom. "Sorry for taking so long. I…, um, was feeling a bit sick to the stomach. I, uh, think it may be the murder getting to me finally." A bit of guilt circled in my chest at the lie and how she seemed to grow a bit more concerned, probably remembering what happened the time Ayako had died.

"Will you be okay searching today?" She asked softly, putting a hand comfortingly on my shoulder and leaning a bit closer. In response, I lowered my head a bit, not meeting her eyes as I broke into a cold sweat. Please don't notice, don't notice, don't notice, don't notice_, don't notice_…

"Oh my gosh! Midori-chan, what happened to your face?" Ran gasped suddenly, pulling back before carefully smoothing out the skin over my left cheekbone. I winced a bit at the light touch, feeling a tingling pain and the shallow remembrance of cold fingers. As she was about to tilt my chin up to survey my black eye, I quickly danced backwards out of her reach with an awkward laugh.

"It's nothing~! I accidently fell asleep while reading a book. It was pretty large and it landed on my face, haha~!" I waved off her concern. "A-Anyways, we should probably get to the others and start searching!"

Swiftly, I turned on my heel and bolted down the stairs to the others as quickly as I could manage.

ooOOoo

"Midori-han, are ya feeling okay? You look pale." Heiji commented after about half an hour of searching the large estate. My eyes glanced over to him under the shadows of my hat, world spinning for a brief moment at the sudden redirect of attention. I wasn't sure what was wrong with my eyes, but everything was in a state of tunnel vision; clear and cut, too focused on one thing that it blurred out the rest of the world. It made me nauseous.

"I'm fine~" I laughed, ignoring Conan staring up at me inquisitively. With him, it was kind of taxing to make sure he didn't have a clear shot of my eyes in any type of light. Without a doubt, he would notice the coloration difference and then I'd be even more in the dog-house. "It's just…a bit hot, isn't it?" I said, pretending to fan my face with a hand.

Conan's eyes narrowed in disbelief while Heiji let out a raucous laugh. "You can just take off your sweater, can't ya?" He asked.

"No!" I rushed before, "Erm, I mean, I like wearing it. It makes me feel safer…," There were more bruises on my arms and there wasn't any way I could explain them away like I had with the ones on my face – and that excuse had been _horrible_. Plus, it was the truth. The sweater was comfortable and warm, with a scent that made me feel at peace – and it also helped that despite being a thin layer, I liked to think that if Spider decided to show up again, I'd at least have a bit more protection over my body.

"Yeah, but if you're overheating, you should just take it off." He told me, flipping the hood playfully. With a huff, I pulled it back off my hat, straightening it with a petulant expression. Instantly, the Osakan's expression grew curious. "Hey, who'd ya get this sweater from?"

I blinked, looking down at the grey hoodie I was wearing. It was a bit baggy on me and I easily realize it was the sweater that I'd gotten from Yuuto by the initials sewn almost translucently into the fabric of the left pocket. A fancy _Y.K._ was scrawled in the English alphabet. My lips formed a small smile as I looked back over to the tanned detective. "From one of my friends. I had to change clothes and he let me borrow some. He said I could keep them. In fact, most of the clothes I'm wearing right now are his." I laughed sheepishly. I'd just grabbed clean clothes that were at the ready and these were the most recent ones that Akako's butler had washed, sitting at the top of the pile.

"How'd you know I got it from someone else?" I questioned in interest. I didn't think being a bit baggy was a big giveaway, but you never know with detectives.

"The smell." Conan spoke up from below, sniffing my sweater at an appropriate distance. "While it's faint from being washed, there's the smell of cologne coming from the fabric."

Curiously, I brought the fabric of the collar up to my nose and breathed in, surprised to find they were right. While I mostly smelled the detergent that the demon butler used, there was the unfamiliar smell of cologne drowned out, along the even more drowned scent of incense. I let out a tiny laugh at that. It seems Akako isn't the only one who uses incense a lot.

"Huh. I hadn't noticed it before." I said with a grin, shoving my hands into the pockets. While Heiji chuckled, Conan gave a deadpan look at my lack of observation skills. Rude. In revenge, I ruffled his hair quickly and easily dodged the half-hearted kick he sent my way. "Anyway, it doesn't seem like we're making any progress. For all we know, he could've left the property already and be halfway to Hawaii."

"No, that's not possible. We checked the security cameras and nobody was shown leaving the building." The shrunken detective intoned. "The tape didn't appear to be tampered with, either. The police would've noticed."

"Maybe there's a hidden passage somewhere?" I questioned absently, chewing on my lip in thought. If there was film, did that mean that Spider can make himself invisible or something? The thought made my skin crawl. He could be in my bedroom while I'm changing and I'd never even notice! _Gross…_ He just kept turning into more of a creeper than I'd originally thought.

"A hidden passage?" Heiji asked in interest.

"Yeah. I mean, this place is big and all, and you know rich people – they like to be elaborate." My shoulders shrugged. "Since Hideomi-san lived here, he would probably know if there was anything like that….Though, if there was, I'm sure someone else would've said something about it." My attempt to drop the topic, since I knew this wasn't true, was broken when both Conan and Heiji both adopted a thoughtful expression. "Actually, what you said could be possible." Conan commented and surprise hit me in the gut like a pleasant warmth. Was that _approval _I hear in his voice? Say it isn't so! "If there were only a few people who knew about the passage, it's possible that the ones who know aren't speaking up to protect Hideomi-san."

"But…wouldn't the chairman know about it, since this is his house?" My eyebrow rose.

"Yeah, but you have to remember that we're dealing with a family here, Midori-han. It's possible that he's not speaking up because he feels the need to protect his son." Heiji cut in. He gave a hum. "I had a case once, where the whole family had proof that the elder son had killed his lover, but they all tried to hide it from the police. I found the evidence, but it was a pain to question people who weren't givin' the whole story, ya know?" In a brief show of frustration, he took off his hat and ruffled his hair into a spiky, brown, mess.

We had stopped our walking in front of the steps that led up to house and with a sigh, I plopped down onto the concrete. My sneakers scuffed at the ground in boredom as Conan decided to take a seat next to me, face making me nervous at how serious he was. _Thank goodness he wasn't focused on me…_ "I guess it makes sense, in a way…" I nodded, "Still, it's probably the wrong deduction. Looking at the butler here, it's easy to assume he's worked here for a long time, due to his familiarity with his surroundings and charges, so it's possible that he already knows about the secret passage, if there is one. He's not family, so he would tell the police." Most likely.

"Watanabe's right." Conan agreed and yes, I was just waiting for the apocalypse to begin because he'd technically _complimented me_ two times in a row. Surely, the world was about to implode; it'd go up in a pretty swirl of bright red flames. "There were a few pictures I saw in the mansion that included the butler when he was much younger. It looks like he's worked here since the chairman's kids were younger."

"He could be loyal." Heiji pointed out. "If he's worked here for that long, there's the possibility that he's grown to view them as his family."

"That's possible…," I leaned back on my hands as I internally face palmed. A short mention of a secret passage had gone from a half-interest to see how Spider got in to both high school detectives suspecting everyone all the more, including the poor butler. Feeling the need to defend the innocent butler, I said, "But it's not certain. Human emotions are confusing and incomplete – even if he _was_ loyal, he would probably feel the need to do the right thing if he wasn't involved."

Shinichi's blue orbs narrowed. "This is getting us nowhere. All we're relying on is circumstantial evidence and wasting time when we could be searching actively for Hideomi-san and the passage." Ahh, there's the detective I know – pointing out flaws to other people since 1994. At least he stopped this pointless conversation that I'd started.

As I was about to open my mouth to tell them we could continue searching the area, squinting at the almost-painful sunlight that was shining in the distance of the warped out sky, a blurred figure darted into my vision. Once the world stopped tilting, I realized belatedly that it was Takagi. Both the Osakan and Eastern detective were focused on him, probably wondering if he'd found anything that could be useful.

"Watanabe-san, there's three young men at the gate looking for you." Takagi told me in his almost nervous dutiful voice. "They said you called them to come here to give you something you had forgotten at home." At the mention of my house, two sharp pairs of eyes darted in my direction. I could practically feel suspicion leaking out of the small body by my side while Heiji seemed almost shocked – like he didn't expect me to actually have a house that other people knew about. Which was technically true – _Midori_ didn't actually have a place she lived.

Suddenly, a voice called out and a blur of white-grey covered my vision while arms squished my sides and lifted me from my seated position. "Mi-tan~! I'm so happy you're okay!" The world spun in a circle as the smell of incense filled my senses and warmth flooded from the contact. My sneakers touched the ground after a while, but I clung to the boy in front of me, dizzy. Takashi's grinning face was too close to mine, silvery bangs mixing with mine. We were so close, I could see the exact detailing of his crimson eyes. With a cough of embarrassment, I tilted my head back a bit from his.

"W-What? I thought I left you back at the gate!" Takagi exclaimed in shock. _Oh boy…_

"Sorry about him. When the police came to the front instead of Midori-chan, Takashi grew a bit restless." Osamu's calm voice cut into the scene. My eyes flashed to him in surprise, not having noticed his presence either. Beside him, a quiet Yuuto was looking off to the side with a blank face, still adorning the cold mask and headphones. In the background, I could just barely make out the form of the butler stopping mid-jog at finally catching up with the boys. Oh gosh, had they come in without permission….?

"I was so worried! What if it had been Mi-tan who'd been murdered?!" Takashi asserted his 'well-found' worry. He removed his arms from me to give Osamu a pointed look, more petulant than anything really. "Osa-tama should be more concerned! I mean, just the other day–!" Osamu's hand wrapped casually around the white-haired teen's mouth before he could say more. His eyes were a cold warning as he glanced for a moment at Takashi. I could practically hear the internal scolding going on. Takashi almost looked like he was about to crumple to the floor for forgiveness. Honestly, he thought too highly of their black-haired leader.

"Sorry for the babble. He's a bit talkative." Osamu apologized once again. His grip on Takashi loosened to an arm slung around the shoulder, once again keeping the other on a short leash around new people. "If you wouldn't mind, the reason we were called here is a bit personal. Could we have some privacy?" His tone demanded it be done now, despite the polite disposition.

"A-Ah, sure…," Takagi stuttered before giving a short bow and leaving to go search for Hideomi-san again.

When Heiji and Conan didn't move, Osamu turned oppressive red eyes on them with another fake smile. The air grew thick. "And who might you two be?" He asked politely, putting a surprisingly gentle hand on my shoulder as he turned to the two. For a moment, I was grateful that he had a hold of Takashi, because the other's grin had vanished and he was staring at both detectives with an unnerving look – like he was waiting to sink his teeth into them or something. It was mildly disturbing.

"I'm Hattori Heiji!" The dark-skinned detective announced proudly, giving the three a grin. "Nice 'ta meet ya!" He was either unfazed by both looks coming from Osamu and Takashi or he was a lot more oblivious than I thought. Conan replied with a bit more hesitation, a bit more suspicion and caution. "Edogawa Conan." He introduced shortly.

"My name is Koizumi Osamu. I'm a relative of Midori-chan's." Osamu replied in kind, "This here is Koizumi Takashi and he is Koizumi Yuuto." Brief and to the point.

"It's nice to meet you." Yuuto finally spoke up almost silently, turning to the two and offering a polite, absent, nod of his head to them. I almost expected him to go back to daydreaming, but they seemed to have caught his attention, his eyes blinking lazily. He looked…surprised? It was hard to tell with his blank face.

"Anyway, I believe I will be borrowing Midori-chan for a bit." Osamu said and with a sharp turn of his heel, he led both me and Takashi away from the group, Yuuto trailing behind us. We stopped nearby the gate, where no one would be able to overhear us. Conan and Heiji weren't even in my visible eyesight despite the sharp tunnel vision I had suddenly acquired. Osamu's hand released my shoulder and Takashi seemed to blink out of whatever mood he'd been in before, returning to the too-wide grin he'd worn.

"I'll need to see your eyes." Osamu ordered, pulling a silver necklace out of his jacket's pocket after relaxing and relinquishing his hold on his charge.

"Erm, sure." I stuttered, reaching up and pulling my hat off my head. Instantly, light flooded my eyes and I flinched, squinting in pain. It felt like everything was too bright – the sunlight was too omnipresent. Osamu let out a short chuckle. "Don't worry, you'll adjust to it soon." He said and waited for me to finally stop squinting to get a better look. He let out a hum.

"They're the same color as Yoshiaki-san's." Osamu commented and Yuuto looked over at me. "Hey, did anything happen yesterday night?"

My mind flashed to Spider's stupid face.

"Nope, nothing really." I smiled sheepishly. "We spent most of the night searching for the murderer, but we couldn't find the person. Honestly, I thought I was just going to go on a pleasant case with those two and I ended up being dragged into a murder. Should've expected it, though, since chibi-chan's cursed." I snorted.

"He's not cursed. You would notice that now." Yuuto said and walked a bit closer. "Here, look at my left eye. You'll be able to see something if you look close enough." Curious, I followed his instructions, peering into his eye carefully, looking for something. For a few seconds, I was wondering if I was being tricked, but then it happened. There was a flicker. A black, smoggy haze flooding his eye as the almost indistinct shape of the Roman numeral thirteen covered his pupil.

I flinched back in surprise, eyes wide. "What's _that_? How did I not notice that before?!" I questioned in shock. Even though it had taken a few seconds, it wasn't like I'd never looked him in the eyes for that long the last time.

"It's a hexing eye." Osamu began, "Only certain witches and warlocks can place curses on others. People who can do that are born with a hexing eye. If someone has a curse placed on them, you'll see the same symbol somewhere on or near them, marking them."

"Mi-tan wasn't able to see it before because her eyes were closed~!" Takashi chimed, catching me in another hug and beginning to rock us both back and forth as he balanced on his heels. At the threat of both of us falling over, Osamu let Takashi lean back against him precariously, still keeping me captive.

"My eyes were closed?"

"Takashi is correct. While your regular eyes may have to been able to see, your…'magic-eyes' were closed off like the rest of your magic. It appears that they were opened for one reason or another. The change in the color also has to do with that. Magic is a strong substance that can change the variation of many things. As I'm sure you've noticed, a lot of people in our family have eyes a shade of red or other. It has to do with how their body reacts to the magical components. Others, though, look relatively normal because their bodies are more adaptable. It's also the reason why some people in our family are albinos yet have blue eyes instead of the usual red. The magic in their bodies affects their general appearance and the added components switch their eyes from normal to abnormal to balance out."

"But why wou–?" I cut myself off, feeling a short sense of horror wash over me before being replaced with a burning rage. Whatever Spider did to me after I passed out – and the thought that'd I'd been _unconscious _with _him_ in the room made me shudder – must have done something. _I'll be sure to kill him later…_

Osamu raised one brow at me. "I assume you already know the cause of the change, then." He deduced from my reaction and his polite smile slipped into something with a hint of an edge, a malicious undertone. "You should really tell your friend that Koizumi's don't appreciate others' interfering in familial business." A sudden oppressing air had my throat closing in anxiety and I gave an awkward cough to cover the burning need to _leave._

Takashi gave a sudden laugh in joy, breaking the thick tension that had cascaded over us all. I blinked up at him in interest. His grin was practically splitting his face in two. "I just realized! Since Mi-tan now has her eyes, she'll need to be trained~!" He sounded really excited at the prospect, for some reason. I was a bit worried, though.

"Trained? In what, _magic_? My 'eyes' only 'opened', though." I pointed out incredulous, "Plus, you brought something to help me, didn't you?"

"Yes, but it's only temporary and with your special conditions, it's quite possible your eyes will not be the only change to occur in your body. While they may be minor at first, its likely your friend will take all the chances he has to awaken the rest of your body. Surely, without the physical restrain and drain of having a master with a seal on her magic, they'll become stronger. They could possibly get enough charge from the sudden metamorphosis to create their own person." Osamu calmly stated, looking completely unconcerned as he threw a wrench at my brain.

"Free-willed artificial creatures aren't really why you need training, though." Yuuto began with his eyes focused off far in the distance. "Witches and warlocks don't awaken to their magic until they hit puberty, or sooner if they hold higher potential. A lot of people in our family awaken before puberty, you've probably seen with Seiichi-kun and Suzu-san. However, since awakening earlier is more abrupt, they have the tendency to lose control. Hormone levels in the body raise or lower when adjusting to magic, so you become more emotionally influenced and with the influence comes more fluctuation in power."

"Since you're awakening to your magic by force, rather than naturally, you will probably be subject to emotional highs and lows, which will then likely lead to more destructive outbursts. With the correct training, though, you should be generally stable. Training will stabilize your emotions since you won't be bottling up all the excess magic and if something does happen, you should be able to recover quickly."

I frowned at the words before realizing something. "Wait, what '_special circumstances'_?" My fingers quoted the words in between in irritation. I didn't like being singled out. It made me self-conscious.

Takashi blinked, leaning in too close to my face. "Whaaa, Mi-tan wasn't told by Aka-tama?!" He asked, completely scandalized. He pulled me closer, smothering me like some poor pitiful teddy bear. I quickly separated us enough to breathe again, sending him a petulant expression that he seemed to ignore.

"Told me _what_?" I was feeling horribly out of the loop.

"You're a special type of witch. With witches, there are two types – ones who receive aid from snakes and ones that are aided by foxes. However, it's not just personal preference, it's based on their structure and magical terms. Even though fox-witches are common in Japanese mythology, they're actually pretty rare. Snake-youkai are easier to form a bond with and kitsune only enter contracts with witches who are more 'youkai' than 'human'. A few people, like you if you'd been born here, carry more youkai blood than the normal percentage."

"_So_…I'm half-demon." I said, blankly.

"No, you're confusing demons with youkai. Youkai and demons are completely different classes of…'monsters'. Youkai are more free-ranged beings that are on the supernatural side of the pendulum – they're neither innately good nor evil. Demons are a class of 'monsters' that work under a certain force, I'm sure you're aware, and they're often malicious and filled with ill intent. I'm assuming Akako-san referred to youkai as 'demons' when she was talking to you, since she already knew you'd get confused between the two." Osamu continued in his matter-of-fact tone.

"How am I even more youkai than human? That makes no sense. If youkai are free-ranged beings that happen to be supernatural, than doesn't that make _all _witches and warlocks complete youkai?" I questioned, scrunching my brows in confusion. This was getting a bit too detailed for me to follow completely, the information flooding my brain as I tried to process the fact that my eyes were technically no longer 'human'. In this case, I was beginning to wonder what the difference between 'human' and 'monster' was; I was 'human', and yet there were parts that weren't now. I think I understand how characters who find out their half-something feel now.

"No, witches and warlocks are more 'human' than 'youkai'. A long time ago, youkai and humans interbred and created offspring like you and I. On one hand, the children's' bodies were more human despite having the abilities of attaining youkai prowess and on the other, the children were born with more youkai-based bodies while attaining the ability to maintain a relatively human perspective. There's more to it, but I believe that's enough detail for now."

"Erm, right…," My shoulders hunched in mild discomfort. "So, I guess I'll have to train, then…Do you think Akako-neesan will be willing to help me, though?" She really didn't seem like the type that would be willing to teach someone like me magic. I'd be too incompetent or something and get on her nerves a lot. Plus, the thought of learning under her was a bit nerve wracking.

Osamu gave a private little smile, as if that's what he was expecting to hear. _This guy_… "Akako-san is a busy person who doesn't have time to do such trivial things." He rose the silver necklace he had taken out before, showing off the metal pendant. "However, this will keep your magic from going out of control until July. Summer break starts then for you, correct?"

"Yeah." My bangs brushed my forehead in a nod. Please don't tell me why I think you're about to tell me. I could feel exhaustion creeping into my body. It was too early to deal with this crap.

"Perfect. It's decided, then," He clapped his hands together once before clenching the pendant with his left hand. For a short second, his eyes burned a fiery red and when he opened his palm, a magic sigil was burned into the silver. "Starting July, you'll be joining us at the Koizumi summer estate where you'll be trained until summer vacation is over." There was no room for argument as he pulled the pendant over my head, patted my head like I was a small child as the world shocked back into regular focus, and then began to lead the two away with a brief wave and, "We'll be seeing you then. Be ready for us to pick you up around six after vacation starts."

Just as they were about to round the bend out of my sight, and I was still frozen in dumbstruck confusion at the turn of events, he turned to me with that suppressing air again. Once again, it was hard to breathe. "Oh, and if you run into that friend of yours, do be careful. They'll probably try to inject more magic into your already unstable body, slowly and unnoticeably, and that could force more changes, which would make more problems for me." His eyes looked murderous before he smiled and then they were gone, rounding the bend, presumably on their way out of the chairman's estate.

I blinked.

Well, there go my plans for the summer…

ooOOoo

Conan and Heiji found me just as I was about to head back inside the mansion to look for them. My hat was pulled backwards, since I could now see clearly without the sun searing off my eyeballs. It was nice to have my regular vision back. Absently, I wondered if it would go back to the tunnel vision when July came, but I brushed it off – I could think about that later. "Hey, sorry for being pulled away like that~!" I laughed, expression a bit sheepish. "I forgot some little trinket back at home and I needed it because I'll be going somewhere after we finish up this case."

"Where to?" Conan asked, trying his best not to look too interested.

With a cheeky grin, my fingers patted his cheeks mockingly. "Wouldn't _you _like to know~?" Smaller hands swatted mine away as quickly as they'd made contact. I stifled a laugh. _Prickly…_

"Anyways, shouldn't we be searching? I have plans for later." I said, shoving my hands in the pocket of my sweater.

Heiji nodded and with a short wave, he headed back inside to give the mansion another thorough sweep. I glanced down at Conan from the corner of my eye, giving him an imploring look. "Aren't you going to start searching again?" I asked as I rocked back onto my heels. One of my brows rose.

"I could ask you the same thing." He retorted and were we really going to argue here? Before I could shoot off another witty remark, he had cut me off. "By the way, I wanted ask you. Koizumi?" He gave me a narrow-eyed expression that was searching for any signs of discomfort. Whoa, déjà vu.

"Oh, yeah, Koizumi! I'm actually distantly related to the family! Why, do you know someone with that last name?" I questioned, peering down at him with a friendly grin. For a second, an almost disturbed look crossed his face, but it dispersed as quickly as it came. I wonder if he was getting Jester déjà vu.

"Uh…yeah. No one important, though." He said and why was he smirking at that line? _Brat… _"She's a classmate of mine, Koizumi Alice."

"Alice…? Oh! Alice-chan! The little brunette with a cheeky personality?" I nodded my head rapidly in approval with a small huff of laughter. "I've taught her well~! We used to live together, until I moved out and started to live with the others." I informed him, adding as much details without being _too_ detailed. Believable lies lie in _details_.

"You don't live with you parents?" The shrunken detective of the east blinked, as if surprised.

"Nah, they like to travel overseas a lot. I haven't seen them in a long time." I laughed, almost feeling a bit sad at the half-truth.

"I see…," He was quiet for a bit before offering a small smile. "We should get back to searching."

ooOOoo

It was around sunset when the others were finally beginning to give up their searching. As for me, I had given up around lunchtime and had supervised for the rest of the hours while having a calming glass of water and a plate of snacks that the butler had fetched for me after he'd passed by at the same exact moment my stomach had decided to rat me out. Megure had given me a few deadpan looks when I hadn't helped with searching, instead deciding to eat and laze around, but other than that, it'd been smooth sailing.

It was just as Takagi was crawling out from under the bushes, sky a hazy orange, did the plotline start rolling again. Nearby the fountain, Scowly and Green Suit, who was actually wearing another green suit (go figure), were beginning to have another scuffle.

"What do you mean? It's _my_ fault Hideomi didn't get married?!" Scowly shouted and leaned in real close to the poor girl's face. "So are you suggesting Hideomi restrained himself for _my_ sake?!"

"No, all I'm saying is that he was a kind brother who was always thinking about you." Green Suit clarified and wow, did she really just say _was_? She's giving herself away ahead of time. I'm honestly surprised nobody noticed that. Scowly sucked in a sharp breath in rage and then her hand struck out like a cobra. A resounding smack sent Green Suit flying into the fountain nearby, her pen falling into the water. As Miyuki was getting up to retrieve her pen, sitting on the edge of the fountain, about to get in, Ran hurried to her side.

"Miyuki-san…wait a second…!" Ran said, holding back the woman from jumping into the murky water of the fountain. The butler quickly made haste to help Ran's cause, "Please don't! This pond is deep!"

"But that pen is a memento of my father! If I were to lose that…!" Miyuki protested, still trying to get out of Ran's grip. As you can probably guess, with Ran's karate strength, she didn't stand a chance.

"Please drain the pond for her!" Megure-keibu practically ordered the butler, probably in the hopes to diffuse a situation that could possibly end with another corpse on his hands. After all, it was a deep pond and it was getting pretty chilly out – and none of us knew if she could even swim. It was best not to test our luck.

"Yes, right away!"

It wasn't too long after that the pond was draining, brown-ish water swirling down, and leaving algae clinging to the rims. "But what a dirty pond!" Kogoro voiced what all of us were thinking as we watched the water slowly disappear.

"Madam used to keep carp in here, but after she passed away…," The butler trailed. Leaves and branches began to surface from the water's surface and then something more disturbing, the top of shoe-clad feet, a shirt covering a chest, and soon and face half-covered in burns. There was almost impenetrable silence, other than gasps, as Hideomi's full figure came into view, soaking in dirty water and covered in leaves. It was almost pitiful to see him like that.

As expected, the inspector and all three detectives – yes, Kogoro included – were the first to recover from their shock. Well, me too, but I already had the 'foresight' of it, so that didn't count. Before I knew it, Hideomi's body was out of the fountain and laid onto the ground nearby, Smiley weeping over his body.

"Why…Why did things have to end this way?" She cried, "Onii-sama! Hideomi-oniisama!"

"When was Hideomi's estimated time of death?" The inspector questioned one of the forensic officers by his side. The man with glasses answered promptly, "It appears that one and a half to two days have passed since his death."

"Mitsuaki-san was thrown from the balcony around ten o'clock on the day before yesterday. That would've been forty-four hours ago. If Hideomi-san had committed suicide before we police arrived, everything would add up." Megure deduced with a hand on his chin.

"But the cause of death was not drowning." The forensic officer said, cutting into the inspector's deduction. "Huh?" "I can't be certain without an autopsy, but…I think he went into the pond after being poisoned." The glasses-wearing officer went to kneel beside the body, picking up a rock that had been beside the corpse. The body stayed submerged because of the rocks that were placed inside his clothing."

"So, you're saying Hideomi-san grabbed some stones, stepped into the pond, then poisoned himself?!" Megure looked incredulous at the notion and Kogoro piped up from nearby, "Maybe he didn't want anyone to see his body."

"Or _someone_ _else_ didn't want us to see his body." A sly smile played at the edge of my lips.

Megure looked over to me, as if startled. Slowly, his face deadpanned again – I feel like this was something I was going to be seeing a lot of in the future, as well... – before he turned back to Kogoro to continue the discussion after I didn't elaborate. I think he expected me to be like Heiji or Shinichi, where if I started a deduction, I'd follow through to the end. Sorry, I don't really work like that, inspector~!

"However, Mouri-kun, even if they didn't get along, Hideomi-san didn't have to kill Mitsuaki-san."

"It may be because Hideomi-sama got along especially well with Yasue-sama." The butler intoned, turning to look at Smiley still crying by Hideomi's body. No one was even trying to offer her comfort, anymore. It was best to just let her let it all out. "The only person against their marriage was Hideomi-sama." I could see why – Suit Man _had_ been a big dickface.

"So, he was upset to lose his precious little sister to him." Kogoro figured.

"Foolish boy…," Scowly said, almost softly, turning her head away from us with a frown.

Takagi broke the silence of the moment by running in with news, "Megure-keibu! The forensics results are in!" In his right hand was a sheet of paper that he read out loud when prompted by his boss. "The knife matched Mitsuaki-san's wounds, and the blood on the knife was also Mitsuaki-san's. Also, the hairs found on the bandages and hat were Hideomi-san's. Also, when I was rechecking the security footage, I noticed a man with blond hair appearing for a moment in the hallway where Watanabe-san's room was. He was almost unnoticeable." He added as an afterthought, turning to me in question.

Several other pairs of eyes focused on me, too.

I felt my face heat in the embarrassment of so much attention. "O-Oh…, that was probably my…friend. He knew I was going to be here and came to check-in on me, that's all…," I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck. So, turns out the arachnid freak _couldn't _turn invisible. Or he could, but he didn't because he was an ass that wanted to make trouble for me. Considering the fact that he had stalked me for a good week or so earlier on, I'm gonna assume it was the latter.

"How'd he get in, though? There's a gate at the front." Ran pointed out, blinking in concern, eyes trailing over the bruises covering my cheeks. Oh, gosh, please don't connect my 'friend' with those…

"He's a magician. He picks locks and such for a living, so…," Please don't realize. My fingers clutched at a bruise hidden by the sleeves of my sweater nervously as I gave a grin. "Breaking through the gate and then unlocking the door to the mansion was probably an easy cake-walk for him. Don't worry, he's…a good person." _That's such a lie…_

Megure gave a deep sigh before turning back to Takagi. "Was there anything else, Takagi-kun?"

"Oh, right! We also found a kite string about a meter long in Mitsuaki-san's coat pocket." He added dutifully.

"Kite string?" Megure questioned. "Was the wound on the backside of his hand also made by the knife?" Conan piped up from beside the portly inspector. Takagi's gaze fell from his superior's face to Conan's, who was once again trying his 'I'm just a cute little kid' expression. It was weird. Beyond weird. "No, it wasn't." He answered.

"What was the blood type of the saliva that should've been on the knife?" Heiji spoke from beside me.

Takagi looked at a loss. "Well, none was found…, it must have been wiped off." Just like the flick of a switch, Heiji and Conan were once again in serious-mode.

"Inspector, I found this paper in the body's pocket." A random officer informed, taking a piece of paper from Hideomi's corpse and handing it to Megure. Surprisingly, it was still intact and seemed to have already dried off most of the way, only patches of the paper were damp. The inspector began to read it paragraph for paragraph out loud. "'I have no right to marry you. I give my life to atone for the crime I commited'. …T-This is a suicide note!" He turned to Green Suit behind him, "Miyuki-san, this was written to you! Is this Hideomi's handwriting?" He asked when she came over to observe.

"Yes, it's similar, but…," She trailed and hung her head down in…guilt? "I'll bring a sample of his writing from his room…," She walked off without another word, even ignoring Ran trying to hand her back her fountain pen. Erg, this is why I always had conflicted feelings about this case…

"Let 'er go." Heiji interrupted Ran from running after Miyuki. "I'll give that fountain pen to her later."

ooOOoo

"I thought you said you were gonna give it back to her." I snorted after Heiji admired the oldness of Green Suit's pen. My sneaker scuffed the ground to snuff the small snort that came from the shrunken teen detective standing next to me. We were once again in front of the steps near the mansion, Heiji and Conan standing in alertness while I practically laid on the concrete steps. Thankfully, not as much people were going in and out of the house like earlier, otherwise I would've been stomped down to a pretty little stain on the steps.

"I will, I will." Heiji waved off carelessly before tucking the pen back into the pocket of his beige pants. I was trying not to comment on his fashion sense, since I'm pretty sure mine was nonexistent but who wears _beige pants and brown shoes?_ Salary men, that's who. It was alright in certain occasions, but most of the time…

"It's odd." Conan broke into my thoughts of bad fashion. His voice was sharp. "Yeah, this case is really odd." Heiji agreed without a second thought. No longer was he thinking of competition, but they were beginning to work together as the well-oiled machine they would soon be known for. I could practically see the cogs turning in those big brains of theirs as I fiddled with the hoodie strings on my sweater, trying to find a comfortable spot for my head on the hard surface I was laying on.

"What's odd is that note." Conan started. "It said 'the crime I committed'. That would mean he wrote it _after_ he killed Mitsuaki-san. There's no way he would have the time to leisurely write a note." Heiji continued, hands deep in his pocket. Both of the boys' eyes were focused in the distance, where the horizon went from red to orange to deep blue. They were slowly putting the pieces together, there was really no need to prompt them now.

I snagged my phone out of my pocket and began to send a text to Kaito, telling him I'd probably be home late due to family coming to visit us at Akako's unexpectedly. Last thing I needed was to be grounded again, I mused. The silent beeps of my phone didn't drown out the rest of the conversation, though.

"That means someone made him write it, or someone forged his handwriting. In any case, there's no doubt someone poisoned him and then sunk him in the pond with the note." Shinichi deduced.

"But the only time anyone was near the pond was when we were all looking for Hideomi-san." Heiji refuted, his brow furred a bit at the information.

"That means Hideomi-san had been killed before Mitsuaki-san was murdered!"

I snickered from my position, knocking them both out of the creepily serious trance they'd been in. "Wow, you two catch on fast~!" I teased, biting on the straw of the lemonade that the butler had offered me a while ago. I think he favored me or something because he was being super nice! It was pretty nice.

"Eh? Do you know who the murderer is?!" Heiji yelped in surprise, leaning down to look at me with wide blue-green eyes. Conan looked just as startled, but he looked a bit offended that I'd figured it out first. It kind of resembled a frustration with his own lack of awareness. A hum escaped my throat cheerfully, "Well, not so much _know_ as to having a…guess of sorts. A theory, you could say, based on the information we've received so far."

"A guess?" Conan grumbled, giving me a petulant look from behind his glasses. "It's hardly proper detective work to make conclusions before receiving all the information." Wow, someone was grouchy today~!

I sat forward from my laidback position with a Cheshire grin already stretching over my lips as I folded my hands together the same way I saw mafia bosses do on television. "Oh? You don't believe in guesses, huh? Well, I'm actually pretty fantastic at guessing. Never wrong, I tell 'ya." Conan's face was utterly unimpressed, so I pushed on. "Wanna make a bet then? I bet 2000 yen that the killer is Green Suit."

"…Green Suit, Midori-han?"

"Err…, Miyuki-san."

Maybe it was the blow to his pride that made him agree to it, or some weird black hole effect, but a second later a confident smile had adorned Conan's face.

"Okay, you're on."

**Review Replies: **

**To: Smile Ren – Thanks! ^^ And yup, I'm in pretty good health conditions right now. I'm hoping it stays that way for the rest of winter. XDD Haha, Spider's fun to write but he's a buttface. And that's for you to interpret as a reader. It could've been in real life or a nightmare that he entered again that affected her body. It's not really too important. XD Thanks for the review! ^^**

**To: kittyfinatic515 – (Laughs) Yeah. XD And yes! You're correct. Sometime around KID's heist, which is after the case after this one with the next one building up to it, is when some plot development happens between Conan and Midori. So far, they've been at a stalemate, so it'll be fun to write out what happens. ^^ Thanks for the review! **

**To: DDmasters – Thanks! ^^ (I just realized you followed my personal as well and I want to warn you that there's shounen ai/shoujo ai posts that I reblog. I wasn't sure if you read the little warning on my blog, but I thought I should let you know. XDD) Thanks for the review! **

**To: Loyal DC Fan (chapter five) – Haha, it probably is, but I'm just going off the wiki. XDD Since I've been calling it that for a while, I'm just gonna stick with Ekoda. Sorry if it bothers you.;; Thanks for the review! o^^o **

**To: Iriss-sama – (Laughs) It's no problem. XDD Don't worry, I've been pretty bad, too. I haven't really been catching up on stories I'm following and such. (Nervous Laughter) I'm glad you liked it! o^^o Theories are always good! I like to brainstorm with my readers and a lot of them time, I'll feed off their ideas. XDD It helps me a lot when I'm in a slump. ^^ Thanks for the review, Ri-chan! ^^**

**-Black hole effect, indeed, haha. XDD Anyways, that was the second chapter to the Transmogrification Arc. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Also want to let you know that I have opened up a tumblr page/blog for Revolver on the request of one of my readers! You can find the link to the page on my profile page, because trying to write links in fanfiction is like war. XDD The name, though, is alice-midori, with all the normal tumblr url things. See ya, guys! Also, happy thanksgiving, just in case I don't update between then and now. XDD **

"**Next Conan's Hint: Fountain Pen!"**


	59. (TA) Mysterious Masked Murder (Part 4)

**A/N: Happy New Years, people! I hope you all have a good year filled with some happiness, excitement, and of course, good food – because food is **_**everything**_**~! 3 This chapter was rushed within the last hour of 2014 because I'm a nerd who wanted chapter 60 to be the first chapter in 2015, so…yeah. Enjoy this crappy chapter and stuff! Happy holidays and New Years and I wish you all the best for the New Year! o^^o **

Chapter Fifty Nine; Transmogrification Arc

"So, I was right," I smirked down at the shrunken detective. By now, Green Suit had been taken away by the police. Conan and Heiji had merely snooped around the house for a couple more hours and had found their evidence and culprit without much difficulty. I had been a minor assistant, leaving to go wash out the pot that had been filled with gasoline for Green Suit's suicide plan while they talked about heavy stuff I couldn't really bother to get into at the moment. I was still trying to comprehend my own life at the moment – I mean, last night had basically blown a hole in all of my logic. _Freakin' Koizumi's…_

Conan gave me a rather dry look, unimpressed with my completely 'no-shame' routine in getting money. I mean, hey, betting on who the murderer is has to be the weirdest thing to bet on, but I was going to take what I got. Just because someone was going to jail over didn't mean anything. With a roll of his eyes, he gave me a look. "I don't have the money now, so I'll pay you back later."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously at him for a moment before I gave him a shit-eating grin. I crouched to be eye level with him and ruffled his hair playfully. "M'kay, I'll take your word for it~!" I hummed, "But warning, I take interest!"

I glanced over to the clock in the corner of the room again, cursing at the late time. "Anyway, I gotta go. See you~!" I patted Heiji and Kogoro's shoulder on the way out after giving Conan a quick one-armed hug, saluted Megure-keibu and Takagi-keiji as I exited the large mansion, and then I was gone.

ooOOoo

"So…that's what happened." I explained to Akako. She was standing next to her desk, fingers absently playing with the faded yellow edges of the pages inside the old Grimoire on her desk. With Akako's supervision, I had taken off the pendant/seal thing that Osamu had given me for a brief moment and within those few moments of 'open eyes', I had been able to read the strange markings and words written in the magical text. It had been odd but fascinating, but Akako had threatened to lock me in one of her dungeons if I didn't put the pendant back on after five minutes.

"I see…," She hummed thoughtfully. Her red eyes were narrowed and her mouth was twisted a bit in displeasure. "You let your false creation manipulate your body." She scoffed and she made it sound so _lame _of me (this kid is a witch? She doesn't even know how to control her own creation), "Really, you're more thick than I thought you were."

"Hey, I take offense to that," I laughed. "Besides, all of this will clear up soon enough. I've been thinking, if magic can be fused _into_ me, it should be able to be fused _out_ of me. All the magical items I've been researching have to have come from somewhere, right? They were made, and someone had to place magic into them to make them, well, magical. If I can somehow manage to place all my magic into one certain stone, I should be able to reverse the effects of what Spider did to me, right?" It was a theory I had come up with after having a restless night, killing time searching through the various gem magazines I had hoarded.

The red-haired witch gave a cackle that made my hair stand on end, smirking at me as she closed her grimoire and took a delicate seat on her chair. "Only two full days as a suppressed youkai and your thoughts are already evolving to the state of what you instinctively _know_ is possible." Her smile was predatory, as if she'd just found something delicious to snack on. One of her hands flipped through her hair absently, "I wonder if it would be like that with other mortals, or if you're just a rare case – you _are_ my sister, after all."

"Hahaha…I wonder…," I mumbled, unnerved by her stare that seemed to glow with the candlelight around us. Her demon-butler stood off to the side of the room, blending into the shadows and making me even more unnerved than I usually would've been. Pouting to myself, I turned my attention back to the magazine in my hands, legs propped up on the handle of the couch as I laid on it. One gem in particular had caught my eyes when they had been 'open', a gem said to have the powers of transcending space and time. The lore was revolved around a couple who lived in different timelines who came in contact with the gem, met, and used it to communicate until they were both executed under the accusation of witchcraft.

I grinned sharply to myself, sitting up and making my way to a nearby desk in Akako's vast library, pulling out a my pair of gloves and grabbing the thick paper I always used for heist notes out. The black sharpie marked the white easily in the distinct creepy cursive of Jester.

_**On the day of love and cheer, two shadows shall appear to steal something you cherished dear. One may be black, or they may be white – only time will tell on this Lover's night. **_

ooOOoo

"So, I found a new target for us~!" I crowed, happily pulling out a crumpled magazine paper from my pocket. Hat pulled low over my eyes and my voice a bit huskier than usual, I sat as Jester in front of KID. We were in a cozy coffee shop just off the shopping district in Ekoda, somewhere I had suggested since I didn't feel like paying for travelling fees to places like Harujuku. KID look at the paper in interest as I flattened it out with gloved hands. It was still a bit cold out despite it being February and it was the perfect excuse to not get my fingerprints everywhere.

"The Azurite Rose, owned by entrepreneur Takayoshi-san, hm?" KID hummed, a small smirk curling at his lips.

"Yep~! He keeps the thing in a vault in his mansion's basement." I grinned widely. "Though, considering it's us, it won't be that hard to get in!"

**-This chapter was short because of the rush, but Happy New Years and the next chapter will be longer, promise! ^^ I'll reply to review privately this time around, thank you for all your reviews~!  
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	60. (TA) The Azurite Rose Heist

**A/N: this chapter has been planned for a while (minus one certain detail, lol) but you know you have it bad, when all you can think about while writing a certain line is a certain someone's laughter. Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I feel the beginning is a bit awkward, but I got into the groove of things once again later. Also, kinda filler-ish with some important plot for later on. **

Chapter Sixty; Transmogrification Arc

News of the heist spread like wild fire.

Speculations as to why KID had decided to team up with a new thief were thrown around in social media while the police force was in chaos. Nakamori-keibu was a wreck, perpetually stressing over KID's lone wolf act ending, only to join a thief that was; one: not as courteous, two: more unpredictable, and three: seemingly willing to use violence against possible pursuers (because of the stupid _Pari Passu_ heist). I had to admit, I hadn't expected nearly as much uproar about it but I guess that goes to show you just how unprepared I was.

Reading through the theories and comments could either be traumatizing or downright amusing. There were speculations on whether I was male or female and since I kept Jester's appearance _somewhat_ non-binary, the police couldn't confirm or deny either (though they had come to the general theory that I was female). People were wondering if I was KID's child or lover or sibling – there were people who were willing to accept me after they got to know me and there were others that were putting out there that they would outright deny my existence if I was KID's female lover; however, they were still open to my partnership if I fit their criteria.

Honestly, KID's fans were either sweetly accepting and/or open – or they were extreme fangirls of crazy proportions. There seemed to be no in-between.

In another note, it seemed like Jester already had a fanbase. I know what you're thinking – this was only my _fourth_ heist (media had learned about Icarus' Wings going missing from the chairman's estate and Spider had oh-so-kindly left a note in my handwriting). But, somehow people were already fanning over Jester's visage. I was almost the complete opposite of KID – if I left notes, they were vague and unfair, I used potentially harming stun grenades, and sometimes I took more than I had said I would. While KID was seen and loved as a chivalrous thief, Jester was slowly becoming loved for being playfully rebellious.

A lot of people assumed I stole things for the thrill of bothering the cops – and I couldn't exactly say they were wrong – and somehow they'd come up with the fancy image of a handsome teenage boy that was bored and too smart for his own good. When these rumors had come out, I had nervously ignored Conan staring at the back of my head in class because _if he knew, I was freaking screwed to the moon and back_.

It seemed to be the most widely spread consensus that Jester was a young male, with dark hair and eyes, a mask, (kind of) unpractical clothing, and an everlasting Cheshire grin. I had to admit: the fan drawings some people had made were good-looking, the outfits more creative and (kind of) more practical for sneaking around in (since they drew Jester with darker shades of clothing with only sprinkles of white).

I had nearly choked on my own spit, though, when I saw several shipping pictures of their male avatar of Jester together with KID – together _together_, if you know what I mean.

After I'd gotten over my shock, I had laughed for about half an hour in The Den, thinking of KID's possible reaction to the pictures. I couldn't deny it – Jester's avatar looked good with KID's and if I wasn't about to exploit that to get accepted by the rest of KID's fans (and to please my own tiny fanbase) than my name wasn't Koizumi Midori.

That's how I ended up at Akako's mansion, giving her the most appeasing smile I could muster up.

She was glaring at me over the pages of the large grimoire she was once again reading through. She'd been reading it a lot more lately, probably trying to look for something to deal with my current turning-into-a-youkai body. As the days went by, there were some subtle differences. I could feel certain things I hadn't before, could sometimes see flickers of things that weren't there, could sometimes read words that otherwise looked like nonsense. While the pendant Osamu gave me kept the changes at bay, they were still prominently _there_.

"No."

I blinked. "Wait, what? I haven't even said anything!"

Her lips twisted downwards into an annoyed frown that she somehow still kept attractive-looking. "I don't even have to be told what you're about to ask me because that idiotic look on your face says it all." She huffed, peering down at me like I was some particularly dumb creature.

"Ruuude," I dragged out before giving her another pleading look, "Please, Akako-neesan! Just this one thing and I won't bother you for another two months!" Probably. "It's something I need for my upcoming heists."

That seemed to get her attention and she placed her book down onto the coffee table. She crossed her legs with a sigh. "What could possibly be so important that you'd practically plead for me to help you out?" Her tone was thoroughly exasperated.

I just went for it.

"From now on, Jester has to be male."

There was a long silence, like time had frozen for a moment before she was laughing, a cackling sound that sent shivers down my back and my hair standing on end. "Is this about the avatar your fan base has created in your vague image?" She laughed and she was thoroughly amused, damn it. It was kind of surprising that she'd read articles about me, though – I was actually kind of touched. "You want to fulfill their wishes?" She let out another degrading laugh.

Heat blazed up my neck to my cheeks to the tips of my ears. This was actually a bit embarrassing. "W-Well, there's that and the fact that it looks like I'll be less threatened as a guy by KID's side." I explained, "Plus, what better way to hide my identity than being a completely different gender?"

Still looking down at me over her nose, smirking, she gave a thoughtful hum. "I suppose that would be a good way to hide your identity." I straightened a bit in pride that she actually agreed with me on something. "And you already have a knack to…adjusting to different forms, so I suppose adding one other won't do too much strain on you." My not-sister already seemed to be contemplating different ways to create the shapeshifting accessories, getting up and starting to gather supplies; assortments of differing herbs and other questionable looking things in bottles. I tried not to think too hard about it.

"Does that mean you'll do it? You'll make another changing bracelet?" My mouth stretched into a grin. This was great! This way, I would be able to please the audience, hide my identity better, _and_ escape the bitter clutches of horrid fangirls who would rip me apart if I was a girl – it was a win, win, win situation.

Heading out the door of the living room, she beckoned me over with a toss of her red hair over her shoulder. "To warn you beforehand, if I make the bracelet for you, your eyes will be opened while you're in male form. Are you still willing of coming with me?" Her eyes were laughing.

I hesitated for a moment before following her down the hall to the stairs leading down to her underground dungeon.

ooOOoo

It was the night of the heist, February 14th, and I was ready to rumble. On my wrist, accompanying my blue transformer bracelet was another bracelet – it was slightly thick, made of leather, and fastened tightly to the bone of my wrist. Etched in the dark leather were engravings of letters that would've looked nonsensical and strange if my eyes weren't currently a dark pink like Yoshiaki's. I glanced into the mirror I had in The Den one more time, checking to make sure everything was in place.

Before me stood a boy clad in Jester's new outfit. It consisted of checkered leggings, black cargo shorts, a loose striped shirt, a short black cape, and a pair of white boots. I'd discarded the hat and blank white half-mask in turn for an intricately designed black-and-white voodoo mask that covered most of the right half of my face. The hat had been inconvenient from the start, anyways, and my identity was safer now that I was a guy, so I felt okay to let more of my features show. My short messy hair was now curled a bit, still the same length but looking more hunky than girly and my face was a bit more angular. I still held a somewhat feminine look but it was more 'pretty boy' than anything – lashes still long and eyes still outlined with eyeliner, but face noticeable male. My chest was now completely flat and I had some…male pieces I would never dare touch or look at if I could help it, but I was still myself.

A genderbent version of myself.

My guy-twin in the mirror grinned in succession with me, a cocky lopsided grin. "This is so surreal," I laughed and my voice was Jester's deeper, scratchy tone. It was natural, though – no more strain on the vocal cords. This was beautiful. Best decision in my life, if I have to be honest.

Shaking my head, I got back into gear, grabbing my gear and clipping my pouch to my waist before heading out to begin the heist.

Another good thing about this guy version of myself: since KID hadn't gotten quite a good look at the female Jester, he wouldn't notice a thing.

ooOOoo

The owner of the mansion, Takayoshi, was prideful of his security system. While he did accept help from Nakamori-keibu and the Kaitou KID taskforce (and holy crap, this was _actually happening_), he absolutely refused to allow them be stationed outside his house. He wanted to test his security system with one of the best thieves in the world and if we did manage to get in, the taskforce would be waiting on guard for us inside. It was kind of unnerving, seeing the seemingly unguarded mansion just sitting there, waiting to be broken into.

While normally, I would've been a bit concerned as to how I was going to pull this off, this time it would be smooth sailing. With a short buzz of radio static in my right ear, KID's voice transferred over to me through the wiretap. "_'Kay, I disabled the security cameras, but the taskforce is being held back by Takayoshi, so we're free to move in._"

"Roger~"

Straightening from my crouch just inside the mansion's yard, hidden in thick bushes where the cameras hadn't reached, I began to boldly walk up to the mansion. KID and I had mutually decided to just enter our own way and meet in the basement where the vault was. Personally, I think it was a good idea – we didn't have to worry about accidently clashing and this way, I didn't have to be inconspicuous about my use of the 1st Pentacle of the Moon. Not that I would have, anyway, but it was better to keep KID comfortable around me.

Pulling a couple stun grenades from my pouch, I sauntered up the steps to the front door, pulling on noise-cancelling earmuffs and sunglasses that I'd found after finally braving the 'EPLOSIVES' boxes in The Den, before pulling it open easily. "Honey, I'm home~!" I cheered, a manic laugh escaping me as I stared at the shocked faces of the on-guard officers there. It doesn't look like they expected me to just waltz in. My eyes spotted Nakamori-keibu, where he had seemingly been arguing with Takayoshi, who was looking quite shocked on the living room's couch. The target of me waltzing in – the opening into the vent system – was just to the left of me, just within grasping reach.

The mansion was beautiful, with large chandeliers hanging overhead and marble flooring. I was momentarily distracted before officer's charging at me with the inspector's shouting face in the background had me quickly tossing the tiny grenades in my hand in a direction where there were generally no people – didn't want anyone getting hurt, after all.

Unaffected by the bright flashes and bangs that rang off one-by-one, I jogged past all the officers that were stumbling around blind to the vent opening. The cover easily released and I hurried to hoist myself in, covering the entrance back up so that they couldn't tell where I'd went. I let out a small sigh of relief as I shuffled further into the ventilation system. While I hadn't enjoyed crawling through vents before, it was kind of comforting to be back in them again, completely isolated from the chaos that was no doubt going to ensue after that entrance. Knowing that this space would usually be too cramped for others was a bonus, too – they wouldn't check the vents simply because they thought I wouldn't be able to maneuver through it, but I could manage it.

Removing my earmuffs and sunglasses, I followed the blueprint's vent system down to the basement, squeezing through the cold metal surrounding me carefully. It was a long and silent journey, with the exception of KID's voice sometimes rumbling quietly in my ear – something about heading to check the basement with a couple other officers. He'd obviously decided to go with the normal disguise-route.

With one last tumble down a sharp downward route, I finally reached the exit of the vent that entered the basement. My eyes peeked through the thin slits, assessing the situation, before I shrugged to myself. Might as well just dive right in. "Going in now," I whispered quietly to the wiretap. A moment before I was about to just burst out of the vent, like in the Ruspoli Sapphire heist, KID's voice cut me off. "_I'm about to enter and gas the room, so put a mask on,_" KID's voice crackled over the line.

"Oh. Thanks for the heads-up," I laughed quietly, reaching down and taking out the gasmask he'd provided for me earlier. It fit snugly over the bottom half of my face without messing with my mask and I swiveled my body so that my feet were aiming for the vent opening.

"_One, two…,_"

"Three!"

Metal clashed across the ground and I landed in a crouch on the smooth marble flooring of the basement. There was a brief moment of officers scrambling to tackle me before there was suddenly a large cloud of white smoke drifting upwards from the ground. Panic and then bodies slumping over, unconscious. My eyes darted over to KID, who offered a quick grin while in his police uniform before pulling a swift clothes-switch into his white suit and top hat. A short moment of waiting for the gas to dissipate and then we were both pulling off our respective gasmasks. I let out an appreciative breath.

"You changed outfits," KID noted under the bright lights. It was still kinda surreal to be next to him, talking to him, while he was in this…_form_ of himself. He was kind of ethereal, even when not under the light of the moon. His dress shoes tapped as he walked up to me, seemingly assessing me. He looked a bit confused. "Hm, it looks nice. Though, now that I see you in brighter lighting without a hat…," His lips pursed, "I have to offer you my apologies. I had assumed you were female from your slight figure and feminine features."

Oh, so he _did _notice something. Should've expected that – he was the freakin' _Kaitou KID_.

Letting out a raucous laugh, I gave him a toothy smile. "That's quite alright! That just means I have the makings of a bishounen~!" A kiss was blown in his direction with a cheeky wink and I was practically rolling with laughter as he gave a small, embarrassed blush – probably recalling all the times he'd tried flirting with Jester. Feeling the need to ease his uncomfortableness, I added. "In your defense, Noriko is a female's name. I supposed you can call me 'Nao' from now on, if it makes you more comfortable~"

"Your sense of humor is as ironic as ever," KID snickered, giving my hair a short ruffle and I sent him a shark's grin before we both turned our attention to the vault.

Without any initiative, I grasped the handle and pulled it open, as if it had never been locked in the first place. Honestly, Ryo and Minoru's gift had to be the best thing ever – there was literally nothing that I couldn't get due to security. I peered inside the vault, eyes wandering around the various paintings and other valuables in search of the Azurite Rose. KID walked right into the vault, beginning to search through the belongings.

"Hmm, some of these are nice," I hummed, entering the vault with my hands brushing along everything inside. Geez, rich people. Why buy things if you were just going to lock them away in a vault for no one to see them? It seemed a bit pointless to me – I almost felt obligated to free the items from the clutches of unappreciative ownership.

As if sensing my wayward thoughts, KID gave a small laugh. "Well, if you're thinking of taking anything else, make sure it's small enough to bring into the vent with you." He sent an amused smile at me over his shoulder as his fingers continued to open and close cases. "I'm surprised you even fit in there. Wouldn't it have been easier to just disguise yourself?"

Unscrupulously snatching two shiny silver bracelets from one of the shelves and stuffing them into the pockets of my cargo shorts, I shrugged. "Disguising's not my specialty," more like not a talent of mine at all, but… "Plus, sneaking around in the vents is how I always pictured thieves and it amuses me." I snickered. "Either that, or coming down from the ceiling all ninja-like, but seeing as we're in a basement, that was kinda a bust, ya know?" And I now had a slight fear of falling since my first heist, but he didn't need to know about that blackspot on my record.

Kid gave another smooth chuckle before he clicked his tongue in satisfaction. "Found it~" There was the short sound of a glass case being carefully pried open and then he turned to me, holding the dark blue mineral shaped like a rose in-between his gloved fingers. "As we agreed, since you planned this heist, it's all yours." He handed me the gem and I carefully wrapped it in a cloth before placing it in my pouch. He gave me a smirk, "No more planning heists for now, though – I'll plan the next one. I have an idea that will give the police a hard time!" He sounded far too happy with himself and as I felt my excitement rising for his heist, I felt the need to shove my face into a wall. I was turning into a common klepto, it seems. I couldn't really bring myself to really care, though.

"M'kay, fine with me~!" I rocked back onto my heels, giving him a thumbs-up before hurrying out of the safe. "We should go now because I'm pretty sure they'll be waking any moment and Nakamori-keibu will break down the door soon. I'm honestly surprised he didn't come with your group when you came." Curiosity leaked through my tone as I checked the people unconscious around us. Nakamori-keibu was clearly not in the room.

"I managed to convince him that the only current threat was you, since it wasn't the specified time on the note I sent in. You came in a couple minutes earlier." He said with a grin. "It was the truth, but by the time we reached the basement, it was already the correct time."

"You sent in your own note?" That was news to me.

"It seemed appropriate."

I gave a small noise of acknowledgement before giving him a salute. "Well, I'll be on my way~! I'll be going straight home today, so we'll meet up later, 'kay? I'll give ya a call t'morrow!" With that brief farewell, I was back in the vent, travelling my way upwards to where I'd exit from the roof.

ooOOoo

Getting up to the roof was a pain in the ass. Really, what had I been thinking when I had made this plan? Going _down_ vents was easy enough, but going _up_ one? It was like trying to do the monkey-bars upside down – thoroughly unpleasant, I tell you. By the time I reached the roof, I was not only breathless, but my knees were sore from crawling around in the metal. Worst. Idea. Ever.

With a groan, I exited the vent system, plopping down onto the clay roof tiles. The moon hung overhead, a crescent that appeared to laugh at my misfortune. Stars dotted the sky and I took a moment to appreciate the view before sitting up. If I waited here any longer, the cops would probably find me, just chilling on the roof like an idiot. Yeah, no thanks.

Pulling out my mountain climber's cable, I hurried to wrap it around the chimney. Once, twice, three times – and I decided it was sturdy enough with a harsh yank on it. Biting my lip a bit pensively, I chanced a glance down to the ground and in hindsight that was probably the dumbest thing I could've done. A cracking sound that split through the air – ringing and chiming like shattering glass – pierced my ears and I turned to look.

My breath caught. There was a freakin' hole in the sky. _The hell?_

I didn't have much time to contemplate what the heck was going on, though, because a second later, a figure came dashing out of the weird space-crack-thing and crashed into me with a painful jolt of electricity. My body twitched (ow, that _hurts_) but that wasn't what I was concerned about. Since I hadn't been ready to suddenly be rammed into and I had yet to connect myself to the cable, I lost my balance.

My feet stumbled backwards before I was tipping over. Then I was falling again – and really, this was a _sign _because this was just plain _bad luck_.

Wind rushed past my ears and holy shit, this time I really was going to die! KID would hear of his partner's untimely death and Akako would probably laugh at me because she knew I already had a bad experience with heights. As the ground rushed ever closer, I may or may not have let out a really girlish shriek. My eyes widened from their shut state because if I was going to die, I wanted to be able to see the world one last time.

Instead of the pretty star-filled night sky, there was another person falling towards me. They were wearing a black winter coat with the hood up (the ones with faux fur lining the edges). A windbreaker a scarf covered the lower half of their face while darkness and shadows shrouded the top half. Gloves covered their palms and they were wearing snow boots. I blinked in mild confusion as they arched perfectly in the air for the least wind resistance and then they reached me, grasping my arm and pulling me into a bridal hold.

For a moment, my thoughts only consisted of 'aren't they too warm in that?' before we landed harshly on the ground, the figure holding me landing nearly on their feet. I'm pretty sure it was a guy. Either that, or they were an insanely flat-chested woman.

The man clad in winter clothing gently placed me back on my feet and I was hit with the reality of the situation.

I had just been saved from becoming a Jester-pancake by an anonymous Eskimo.

My life was _weird_.

"Um," My voice tumbled out of my tight throat because wow, I'd almost died…again. Rooftops weren't made for people like me, I guess. "T-Thank you." Almost instantly, I felt like shoving my head into the brick mansion I just fell from; that had been completely out-of-character for Jester. I cleared my throat before offering the man a grin. "What I meant was: thank you very much for saving me. It would've put quite a dent into my plans to end up a beautiful, red stain~!" There. Better.

The guy shifted and I caught a brief view of golden eyes obscured by long bangs as he snickered before looking up to his companion still on the roof, the one who'd knocked into me and sent me spiraling to my doom. They were also wearing winter clothes, dressed head-to-toe in clothing far too warm to be comfortable in. The weird space-crack-thing had closed by now and I was _almost_ led to believe I'd hallucinated the whole thing, other than the fact that these people were obviously not _human_. There was no possible way to land safely on the ground after jumping from the roof of a three story mansion with a person in your arms unless you were Superman or something. Considering their clothing lacked any outward underwear, they obviously weren't.

I was just about to open my mouth to question the people whether I'd gone crazy when the most unpleasant voice in the world spoke up behind me. "Well, well, this is a bit of surprise, isn't it, kitten?" The voice drawled and my body tensed as the words Osamu had told me echoed in my brain – _"Oh, and if you run into that friend of yours, do be careful. They'll probably try to inject more magic into your already unstable body, slowly and unnoticeably, and that could force more changes, which would make more problems for me."_

The man in front of me bristled, a weird hiss sound escaping his mouth and woah, his canines looked a _bit_ too sharp for me to feel comfortable standing so close to him. I shuffled uncomfortably, stuck between a rock and a hard place before I decided that Spider was the bigger threat. This strange man had saved me, after all, and Osamu had looked murderous when he'd told me to be careful; I wasn't sure if that was directed at me or the arachnid freak, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

"Well, well, look who decided to show up to the party," My tone was like acid as I sassed at him, glaring. The blond bastard was giving me a smug smirk that made me want to go back up to the roof with him and let _him_ fall off it. Granted, it probably wouldn't kill him, but it'd still be hella satisfying.

"I do love to crash in without invitation," he snarked back, "Especially if I know I'm going to run into someone particularly interesting." His tongue darted out to his lips, as if he'd just eaten something delicious before he purred, "Turns out, tonight, I get two for one." _He's such a creeper…_

With a frown, I planted my feet. Maybe I can distract him by pushing this guy at him and then making a mad dash for the crowd outside Takayoshi's estate gates. It was a bit far-fetched, but it was still worth a try. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance. The Eskimo beside me had apparently decided he didn't like the arachnid freak and pushed me behind him, another one of those weird hiss sounds leaving his throat. Spider looked less than entertained with the man, a displeased scowl marring his face.

"Move, _brat_," he spat, his nicer appearance flickering before being replaced. The spider tattoo above his left eye seemed to shine in the lack of lighting. The dark Columbian blue eyes drifted over to me, glinting malevolently. "You're not the one I want right now." And if _that_ didn't give me the heebie-jeebies than nothing did.

"Spurious should stay out of the way," the Eskimo growled out in a scratchy voice that was somehow pleasant to listen to – like ocean waves crashing over a rocky bank. His choice of words confused me, though. What the heck was a spurious?

Spider didn't seem the least bit intimidated. In fact, he relaxed and gave a lazy smirk. One of his fingers swayed side-to-side as he tsked the man. "Now, don't be rash. One false move could possibly jeopardize your precious person's existence, you know?" He glanced briefly at the other person on the roof knowingly. What I could see of the man's face suddenly turned distraught as he debated his options. Finally, he took a few steps behind me once more, walking backwards. He had conceded.

The other person on the roof took that as their cue to jump off the roof, as well – landing in a perfected crouch. One blue eye peeked out at me from behind messy bangs before the other Eskimo turned to Spider and very slowly raised their gloved-hand. The middle finger was raised prominently in the midst of a fist.

I gaped.

This random Eskimo had just flipped off the bane of my current existence.

With the deed done, the Eskimo turned and darted away in the direction of Takayoshi's mansion, their companion hesitating for a moment before following shortly after. Just as I remembered I'd turned my back on Goldilocks, he was in front of me, grinning with his elongated canines. As my hand lashed out, he caught my wrist in a painful grip and I just knew that was going to bruise.

"_You–_!"

I couldn't even finish my sentence because he snapped his fingers and everything went black.

ooOOoo

I woke up later in The Den, back in my female body. While the transformation-bracelet Akako had made me was effective, it only lasted for six hours. The sun was rising over the horizon, glinting off the edges of the broken glass shards scattered about the room. The Azurite Rose sat neatly in my pouch, the only evidence that the completely surreal night had indeed taken place.

I jolted, looking over my body to spot any noticeable differences. The only thing I could spot at the moment was Spider's palm print indented onto my left wrist, but it was already fading due to the healing necklace from Akako I had taken to wearing whenever I went out to heists now – it was more convenient that way.

Sighing in silent relief, I stretched and put the target of the night with my other gems, along with the two bracelets I'd taken merely for amusement's sake, and then began to get changed for the day.

It was only when Erise said I seemed different that day did I notice my nails coloring to a dull grey, despite not painting them over. The glamor Osamu had given me was failing, being overpowered. I'd panicked for about half a second before glossing it over with a huge drink of strawberry lemonade and then proceeding to ask Erise to kill time with me at the movies. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Still, the stupid arachnid had managed to make another change and being on the losing side of a war was spiteful.

Spider: 2.

Me: 0.

…I really hoped Osamu had been referring to him, not me.

**Review Replies:**

**To: the typewrited – (Laughs) I'm glad I could make your day. ^^ Happy new year! Thanks for the review! **

**To: Iriss-sama – Happy new year! I'm glad! Here's the next chapter, Ri-chan! Thanks for the review! ^^ **

**To: Winged Fennec Fox – (Laughs) I'm glad the shortness didn't bother you. ^^ Here's the update! Thanks for the review! **

**To: Takamine Mizuki – I'm glad it works on your computer. I was a bit worried as to why it disappeared. XD Thanks for the review!**

**To: DDmasters – Thanks! Here's the next chapter! Thanks for the review! ^^ **

**Note(s):**

**NAO meaning "honest" (****直****) – Japanese unisex name.**

**Note end. **

**Well, since we've finally made it to chapter 60 and since this is the first chapter posted in 2015, have some important plot for later on! Next up after this chapter is Kobayashi-sensei's entrance and some light-hearted fun in a darkened school with the tantei-dan and then some intense Jester & KID vs Conan, in the one-hour special episode "Conan vs Kaitou KID" (dear god, a regular episode is hard enough…wish me luck with this one, www). Hope you enjoy! In other news, I switched out the first "book cover" of Revolver with another. You'll notice Jester's boot (well, sorta, lol), Kin-chan, a spider dangling downward (this almost killed me because I had to look up spider pictures and I'm phobic, haha), and a rain of diamonds in the background of the title. What'dya think?**

"**Next Conan's Hint: School Infirmary!"**


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